Tannhäuser Gate

UK Release Date:  11  December 2020 Director:  George Clooney Cast:  Demián Bichir, Tiffany Boone, Kyle Chandler, George Clooney, Felicity Jones, David Oyelowo, Sophie Rundle, Caoilinn Springall Runtime:  118 mins Rating:  ⭐  ½ Review: The Midnight Sky doesn't evoke any important, intellectual discussion within its painfully stretched runtime.  There isn't a lot to latch onto in general - as the film also suffers from a severe lack of poignancy.  Elements that could be forgiven if there was a level of originality involved, but despite being based on Lily Brooks-Dalton's novel, Good Morning, Midnight , the film plays as a distasteful riff of far superior films. Attempts to replicate the genius wonder of Sunshine , the stoicism of Ad Astra and the euphoria of Interstellar - and in attempting to tackle such a wide spectrum of thematic ideas,  The Midnight Sky flounders to achieve any. A bleak, sombre exploration of the struggles of...

UK Release Date:   18 April 2025 Director:  Ryan Coogler Cast:  Miles Caton, Michael B. Jordan, Jayme Lawson, Delroy Lindo, Omar Benson Miller, Wunmi Mosaku, Jack O'Connell, Hailee Steinfeld Runtime:  138 mins Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Review: Straightaway, Ryan Coogler cements Sinners as one of the most creative pieces of storytelling to grace the screen. Distorted, flickering and flashing imagery, mirroring events that have already taken place that the audience is yet to see.  Capturing the perfect balance between a real, perceivable threat and an evil that is hidden in the shadows. Appropriating the extremities of deep-rooted racism in Clarksdale, Mississippi in the 30's. Making it all the more powerful that the film's demonic oppressor is an Irish immigrant looking to overcome his grief through the means of a surrogate family. Yet, in doing so is committing the same sins that once befell his own culture. The perfect mix of charismatic manipulation and vicious c...

UK Release Date:  07 November 1980 Director:  Stanley Kubrick Cast:  Scatman Crothers, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Barry Nelson, Jack Nicholson, Philip Stone, Joe Turkel Runtime:  144  mins Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ Review: Opening with an overpowering sound of synthesisers mimicking brass instruments, The Shining is immediately awakening. Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind craft a score that frightens and mocks both the Torrance's and the audience. Taking inspiration from Goblin's work on Suspiria with an array of unsettling harp plucks and haunting shrieks. Incorporating Latin 13th-century hymn, Dies Irae into Main Title (The Shining) to amplify the sensation of impending doom.  It is that blend of devilish originality and classical symphonies that succeeds in creating a  jolty and jagged sound that  feels alive, as if it can physically harm.  An audibly ominous atmosphere aided by thunderous sound design. Unapologetically loud and obnoxious. Wh...

UK Release Date:  05  December 2025 Director:  Jafar Panahi Cast:  Afsaneh Najm Abadi, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Vahid Mobasseri, Delmaz Najafi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, George Hashem Zadeh Runtime:  103 mins Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐ ⭐ Review: The Cambridge Dictionary defines tension as a feeling of fear or anger between two groups of people who do not trust each other. In film, tension is often the emotional strain that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. When utilised correctly, tension r egularly elicits  a sense of frustration and stress. Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival 2025, It Was Just an Accident certainly accomplishes its goal of crafting a stress ridden environment. Although, the most genius aspect is that Jafar Panahi manages to pull this off by avoiding all common filmmaking conventions.    Ari Aster's Hereditary , considered by many as the golden standard for modern horror film...