THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE

REVIEWED: SEASON 1 (ALL EPISODES) | STARRING: KATE SIEGEL, HENRY THOMAS, MCKENNA GRACE, LULU WILSON, VICTORIA PEDRETTI, MICHIEL HUISMAN | WHERE TO WATCH: NETFLIX, DVD, BLU-RAY

Based on Shirley Jackson’s book of the same name, modern Horror aueter Mike Flanagan (Hush, Oculus, Doctor Sleep) undertook the monumental task of adapting this legendary tale and creating a ten hour-long episode series that equally balanced creating tension, dread, emotion and character development – and he absolutely nailed it.

The series follows the Crain family; Father Hugh, Mother Olivia and their five children Steve, Shirley, Theodora, Luke and Nellie – a family of house flippers who end up in possession of Hill House, a house that is soon discovered to be Haunted. The story across the ten episodes cuts between the siblings as kids and as adults who, after experiencing a variety of tragic and terrifying events are very damaged, each in their own individual ways, over 25 years after the occurrences happened.

From the very first scene, the series is oozing with atmosphere. Flanagan’s keen eye and attention to detail means that his locations feel as much of a character humans – and that’s not even because each episode has a plethora of hidden ghosts to find!

The story, which alternates between the past and present, is edited in such a way that it keeps the audience guessing with all of its reveals and twists and allows the Crain children to develop and emotional tether to the viewer.

With the show taking place over 10 hour long episodes, thus enables each of the seven main characters to get a chance to shine. A few of the episodes focus on a particular character entirely or a pair of characters shaky relationship, from an episode about Nell’s experience with “The Bent-Neck Lady” or adult Luke’s incredibly difficult battle with drug addiction. Episode 6 in particular was a highlight as it features all of the adult family together for the first time since they were kids and the entire episode is made up of a selection of extended one take shots – a technical masterclass in its own right.

Another achievement of Flanagan’s vision is that the series never really feels overbearing or long – each episode is crafted to keep the audience engaged and on their toes with existential dream looming around every corner. The ending itself is not your conevventiontal horror ending either with it feeling rather poetic with its conflict resolve.

The Haunting of Hill House is easily up there as one of the best Netflix Originals and an essential viewing for Horror fans.

Blu-Ray Extras:

The Haunting of Hill House comes as a three disc set each with 3 or 4 episodes on each disc. Each disc also contains the following extended directors cut episodes:

  • Disc 1 – Extended version of Episode 1 with Commentary from Director Mike Flanagan (6 minutes of extra footage)
  • Disc 2 – Extended version of Episode 5 with Commentary from Director Mike Flanagan (3 minutes of extra footage)
  • Disc 2 – Episode 6 with Commentary from Director Mike Flanagan
  • Disc 3 – Extended version of Episode 10 with Commentary from Director Mike Flanagan (5 minutes of extra footage)

LEGEND OF THE WITCHES (1970) + SECRET RITES (1971)

legend witches

LEGEND OF THE WITCHES (1970) + SECRET RITES (1971) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTORS & SCREENPLAY: MALCOLM LEIGH, DEREK FORD / STARRING: ALEXANDER SANDERS, MAXINE SANDERS, PENNY BEECHING | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The latest release from the BFI’s Flipside label is the very definition of a mixed bag. The main attraction – a feature-length, black and white dramatised documentary from 1970, which promises to reveal the mysteries of the history of witchcraft – is joined by a supporting short; a short, quasi-mondo invitation to witness the secret initiations and other rites of a coven of witches in Notting Hill in 1971.

On the surface, these two complement each other well, and the buyer of this Blu-ray package could well expect to be fully up-to-speed on witchcraft, or at least how the practice stood at the back end of the 1960s, but in reality, they couldn’t be more different. Legend of the Witches is dry, with archive footage enhanced by docudramatic set pieces, and its X rating (that’s an 18 for you youngsters) was probably earned as much for the grainy nudity on show as the sacrilegious content. The voiceover, uncredited at the time but since attributed to genre (and everything else!) everyman Guy Standeven, is informative but monotonous, and if Legend of the Witches were presented on its own, without its co-attraction, then this would not be a recommended purchase at all.

Thankfully, then, Secret Rites races to the rescue! Centred on a coterie of witches led by Alexander Sanders (who also participated in the dramatised scenes in Legend of the Witches), Secret Rites is delightful, and very, very English. We are introduced to Penny, a hairdresser’s receptionist, who wants to be initiated into the Notting Hill coven that Sanders runs, for reasons best known to herself. The film, which never outstays its welcome at 47 minutes, follows Penny as she and a fellow initiate are brought into the mystic circle, and given the once over by high priest Sanders.

We also get to witness a Wiccan wedding, and the beginnings of a sacred sex rite, and it’s all very titillating, which belies the usual fare of director Derek Ford, best known for The Wife Swappers, Sex Express, and Keep It Up, Jack. The extra commentary track for Secret Rites, by Flipside founders William Fowler and Vic Pratt, is illuminating and funny, and if you haven’t bought their book – The Bodies Beneath, which has a chapter on these films – yet then you need to remedy that.

This is one of those rare occasions when the extras included on the Blu-ray are every bit as attractive as the main feature, especially the charming documentary Getting It Straight In Notting Hill Gate, which details how that small corner of Kensington and Chelsea became a hangout for bohemians and immigrants alike, and the melting pot that resulted from that heady mix. Also included is a clip from the rarely-seen Out of Step documentary series, in which Dan Farson interviews ‘the father of Wicca’, and two other shorts.

Legend of the Witches is something you’ll watch once and barely remember, but the rest of the package is something to cherish and watch again and again, especially with friends, and initiating new acolytes into the cult of Secret Rites will be as thrilling as Penny’s journey into naked witching. This is a Britain that used to be (and probably still is, behind the curtains somewhere) and we should cherish that it was captured by such prurient documentarians as Derek Ford.

STARDUST (1974)

stardust

STARDUST (1974) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: MICHAEL APTED / SCREENPLAY: RAY CONNOLLY / STARRING: DAVID ESSEX, ADAM FAITH, LARRY HAGMAN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Stardust continues the adventures of Jim MacLaine (Essex) a few years after the events of That’ll Be the Day, which saw him on the first steps to becoming a pop star. To be precise, it opens at a funfair on November 22nd, 1963 – the day President Kennedy was shot. This time Jim is not here to work or pull birds but to persuade his old mate Mike (Faith) to be the road manager of his group The Stray Cats.

Mike becomes Jim’s Mr Fixit, who gets him girls and gigs. The road to fame begins with a touch of blackmail and wheeler-dealing by Mike to get a bigger van for the group, it’s still a fairly broken down wreck, but it is slightly superior to the accommodation he gets for the rest of the band members. The bartering skills of Mike also proves useful when he helps renegotiate a better contract for the band with the owner of a Cavern Club-like venue, and through the improbable help of a wealthy ‘launderette king’ businessman they get a recording deal.

As the director Michael Apted says on one of the DVD extras, it’s no accident that the story follows the career arc of The Beatles as he, producer David Puttnam and writer Ray Connolly were of a similar generation. Michael started his career in television in Manchester and whenever The Beatles performed in front of the cameras he knew they would soon make a big impact on the pop world. This contrasts with Claude Whatham, the director of That’ll Be the Day who was a bit older than them and was not as clued in to rock ‘n’ roll, however, his kitchen sink drama approach to that film does give it a grimy authenticity. Stardust in comparison is far brighter and action packed, carrying The Stray Cats to fame in the USA and the life of being besieged by mobs of fans and management men who treat Jim like a product rather than a creative artist.

Mike in league with the loud mouthed US manager Porter Lee Austin, played by Larry Hagman (Dallas), isolates Jim from his fellow band members and his French girlfriend. He becomes of prisoner of fame and only lives in hotel rooms, and even when he goes on ‘holiday’ in Bermuda, Porter expects him to write a few songs for the new album they want out before Christmas. Not surprisingly the pressure is too much and Jim seeks a refuge away from this madness but all does not go well…

The extras include a stills gallery and interviews with Puttnam, Connolly, and Apted who provide an insightful guide to the making of this tragic look at the price of fame that is still as relevant today as it was back in 1974.

THAT’LL BE THE DAY (1973)

that'll day

THAT’LL BE THE DAY (1973) / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: CLAUDE WHATHAM / SCREENPLAY: RAY CONNOLLY / STARRING: DAVID ESSEX, RINGO STARR, ROSEMARY LEACH / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Britain in the 1950s is boring, dingy, repressive, and downright sad. For Jim MacLaine, the future is university and a career, his prospects are better than most but he gives it all up for rock and roll.

The plot of That’ll Be the Day is simple, but the sum of its parts put it beyond the usual boy-meets-girl boy-becomes-pop-star formula enshrined by countless Elvis Presley and Cliff Richards films.

Real-life pop star David Essex stars as Jim MacLaine, the perfectly laconic hero, who decides to learn from the university of life. His intentions are all too clear in the striking image of him throwing his schoolbooks off a bridge. Having thrown away his ‘bright prospects’ literally for the fairground, his tutor becomes Mike, a stereotypical Teddy Boy. Played by The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, Mike teaches Jim how to cheat customers on the dodgems and how to seduce young girls. Jim becomes proficient at cheating and loving, indeed they become his mainstay whilst rock and roll music is his excuse and escape route, as much as his dream.

The fairground with its brash excitement and cheap thrills is a visual counterpoint to rock and roll music itself, and they contrast sharply with strait-laced everyday Britain. Director Claude Whatham shows the excitement and sleaze of becoming an adult without pretension. Made in 1973, it nostalgically recreates the late 1950s but is never sentimental or mawkish.

In the same year, 29-year-old George Lucas drew upon his experience of 1950s small town America for American Graffiti. The shadow of the Vietnam War hangs over the bright innocence of the characters in Graffiti, whereas the characters in That’ll Be the Day are already blighted by the repercussions of World War II. For both films rock and roll is a guiding light that transcends and illuminates everyday reality. That’ll Be the Day established Sir David Puttnam as a film producer and made Essex a pop star.

The extras include an interview with Puttnam who says that when he got together with screenwriter Ray Connolly they shared many of their own experiences for the film script, in particular the opening scene of Jim as a boy meeting his father after the war is based on what really happened to David. He also notes how a deal with Ronco to release a soundtrack album of the film meant that it was heavily promoted by TV advertising. A stills gallery and interviews with author Bob Stanley and Ray Connolly are also included.

SCARFACE (1983)

scarface

SCARFACE (1983) / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: BRIAN DE PALMA / SCREENPLAY: OLIVER STONE / STARRING: AL PACINO, MICHELLE PFEIFFER, STEVEN BAUER / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

This 1983 Brian De Palma film – a loose updating of the 1932 movie of the same title – tells the gritty narrative of Tony Montana (Pacino), a Cuban refugee who will stop at nothing to become the most successful mob boss and drug trader in history.

Like most jobs rising to the top isn’t going to be an overnight task, but Montana and his associate Manny Ribera (incredibly played by Steven Bauer) have their mind set on violently achieving this vision as soon as possible. Through the gorgeous set pieces and stunning real life locations provided by director De Palma alongside a delicious screenplay crafted by genius writer Oliver Stone that makes every single scene ooze art, this classic achievement in film history has you glued to the screen from the moment it starts.

With quotes “Say hello to my little friend!” and “The world is yours!” still being echoed across the world to this day Pacino’s take on the character has gone on to become highly influential. Playing someone who descends into madness whilst aggressively attempting to grasp his wildest dreams is no easy feat for any actor, but it’s something that he navigates with ease. One standout moment that is maybe overlooked, is when he is at an exhausted rage due to ‘having it all’ and stands up in a crowded restaurant to lash out at the people surrounding him. It may seem like a basic idea, but organic interactions like this make what you see seem shockingly real.

Dismissing thought and reason may be unnoticeable to the dangerous ways of Tony, but it’s something that underlying characters Elvira (Pfeiffer) and his family, especially the scenes with Mama Montana (Miriam Colon) really do pick at. At times they repel off each other in a heartbreaking style, but Tony keeps coming back to them because he gravitates towards the ones that he just can’t quite figure out. Their back and forth is still addictive to watch as they bring Tony’s muddled mind to the forefront for everyone to indulge in.

This special release celebrates the 35th anniversary of Scarface, so be prepared for an array of impressive extra content. We get to see a recent cast reunion interview where Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Brian De Palma reflect on the cultural impact of the film, how the original concept came together, as well as what it was like to work on. We get background documentaries about the character Tony Montana that even shows real life cops as they try to decipher this uncontrollable personality. For those obsessed fans looking for even more detail, you’ll be delighted to view features on the Scarface video game and TV version. This really is the ultimate Scarface experience.

THE DEAD CENTER

Dead Center

THE DEAD CENTER / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: BILLY SENESE / STARRING: SHANE CARRUTH, POORNA JAGANNATHAN, JEREMY CHILDS, BILL FEEHELY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

When an extremely dead suicide victim escapes his body bag and wakes up in a psych ward, everybody in the hospital is about to have a very bad day.

The chief recipients of that bad day are the well-meaning loose-cannon psychiatrist who admits ‘John Doe’ onto the ward without permission (seemingly oblivious to the fact that this bug eyed catatonic has ‘very bad news’ written all over him) and a burger-munching coroner who’s going above-and-beyond to find out how the corpse of a dead man could so inexplicably go walkabout, and where he’s gone walkabout to. Luckily for the flimsy narrative (but unluckily for the audience), their paths don’t cross until very late in the story, which means neither man asks any of the obvious questions that could bring this mess to a hasty conclusion. Instead, there’s a lot of derivative nonsense that includes a recurring spiral motif, an ancient pre-Christian evil called the ‘mouth of death’, and heard-it-all-before guff alluding to our psychiatrist hero’s troubled past with a touch of ‘how overworked and underfunded the mental health care system is’ thrown in for good measure (don’t you just love a horror movie with a social conscience?) Even when John Doe mysteriously starts talking (and pleading with the psychiatrist to kill him) and people in the hospital start dying from what looks like a very nasty case of ballpoint pen around the mouth, our kindly protagonist still doesn’t engage brain long enough to realise his creepy new patient might have something to do with it. Throw in some un-jumpy jump scares, occasional shaky cam-o-vision, and a hospital with the worst security procedures in the history of psychiatric medicine (has no-one in this place heard of shutting doors properly?) and you’ve got an un-horrifying horror that staggers towards an incomprehensible yet completely predictable conclusion and leaves us with the vague threat that a part two could potentially be on the horizon. The possibility of a Dead Center Part Deux is definitely something that could keep me awake at nights.

Apparently, Dead Center’s writer-director Billy Senese has recently been hailed as a ‘masterful new voice in terror’ and the overload of special features that accompany this dire waste of 93 minutes certainly suggests the distributor believes that too. There are two commentaries, deleted scenes, and a selection of Senese’s short films and radio plays. There’s also an in-depth making-of documentary, during which Senese and his crew revisit the film’s locations and talk about the production in terms that suggest they’ve created some kind of horror redefining masterpiece. While it’s good to be confident about your product (and getting any movie in front of cameras and onto home distribution is always a massive achievement), all the self-congratulation and “hey ma, see how we tapped into the zeitgeist” back-slapping gets a bit wearing after the first few minutes. If Senese is a masterful new voice in terror, the terror industry is in very bad shape indeed.

Maybe you’ll like it or maybe this reviewer’s right and The Dead Center is nothing but very tatty Emperor’s new clothes. All I’ll say is that I’m not going to watch it again to find out.

THE INVITATION (2015)

invitation

THE INVITATION (2015) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: KARYN KUSAMA / SCREENPLAY: PHIL HAY, MATT MANFREDI / STARRING: LOGAN MARSHALL-GREEN, EMAYATZY CORINEALDI, MICHIEL HUISMAN / RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 4TH

Receiving a dinner party invitation from his ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard) who he hasn’t seen in years, Will (Marshall-Green) and girlfriend Kira (Corinealdi) agree to attend a night in a familiar house that they’ll never forget. From the get-go, there are a handful of crucial themes that delicately thread their way throughout the visuals, but the main one that shines through is the grief of losing a loved one, as we discover Will and Eden’s unfortunate past. It has a polar opposite effect on each of them as we see how they deal with something so horrible. Their shared nightmarish background is a complicated and dynamic beast that glues everything firmly together.

Returning to direct her first film in seven years, Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Destroyer) has pulled out all of the stops to give us something astonishing. Channelling a feel of dread that doesn’t seem forced from what may appear to be a normal dinner party in the Los Angeles Hills could be a challenge to some, but it’s something that she dominates. She has highlighted the acting specialities of Marshall-Green, as Will effortlessly expels unpredictable tension while interacting with his old friends at what quickly comes across as an unsafe event, that’ll even have you the viewer scanning the screen for the best exit; a career-changing example of less is more.

Without giving too much away, we have to mention the sublime and disturbed acting work of John Carroll Lynch. His innocent manner on the surface to shaping Pruitt is both our bridge between plot holding characters and an alternating friendly and sinister landscape. As an actor, there’s a lot he needs to give the audience, but he excels to continuously provide balance and structure to an intimate setting.

With limited filming locations, a psychological and close quarters output like this just does not survive without dedicated writing, which has been given to us by the creative triangle of Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, and Karyn Kusama. They have carefully placed tension around an emotional past as our guests interact and, as secrets brew to the surface, we get to lavish in a haunting conclusion.

For those looking for further detail about this unique project, then you’ll need to dig your teeth into the special features. We get spoilt with interviews from most of the main actors as they describe the characters they portray. There’s a detailed discussion with Kusama, who is extremely passionate about her work. As well as exciting commentary from Kusama, Hay, and Manfredi. This really is, excuse the pun, an invitation that you just don’t want to ignore.

SKINNER (1993)

Skinner

SKINNER / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: IVAN NAGY / SCREENPLAY: PAUL HART-WILDEN / STARRING: TED RAIMI, RICKI LAKE, TRACI LORDS, DAVID WARSHOFSKY / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Special Features: Interviews / Outtakes and extended scenes / Limited edition booklet

As old favourites from yesteryear continue to get new 4K releases, the latest such offering to get a 4K lick of paint is Ivan Nagy’s Skinner. Long thought lost, let’s see how this 1993 effort holds up here in 2019.

Skinner centres on Ted Raimi’s Dennis Skinner, whose regular everyman appearance conceals the eerie fact that he likes to spend his spare time scouring the streets for people to skin. While he may have one of his former victims (Lords) on his trail, Dennis has taken up temporary residence with Kerry (Lake) and her work-away husband Geoff (Warshofsky) – although his burgeoning crush on Kerry sees this slicing ‘n’ dicing sort battling with the idea of letting the new apple of his eye see the real him.

Given that Skinner has never been widely available for UK audiences – be that on VHS, DVD, or Blu-ray – there was always going to be a certain sense of intrigue about this 101 Films release. In fact, due to the bankruptcy of Cannon Pictures back in 1993, Skinner was barely seen by anybody upon its initial release. While it’s always cool to see Ted Raimi in a leading role, though, the movie itself is only so-so at best.

Raimi himself leads the charge well and channels his best Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter in a film that he credits as launching his career in B-movie pictures, but the general narrative of Skinner lags a little at times, struggles to truly build suspense, and the performances of the picture’s other key players is a total mixed bag. Traci Lords is great when afforded more to do than limp around, but Ricki Lake’s delivery often makes it hard to watch the scenes involving Lake’s Kelly. And given that Kelly is such a pivotal character who shares so much screen time with Raimi’s Dennis, the end result is one that pulls Skinner down.

Visually, there are some nice touches from direct Ivan Nagy, and special praise certainly has to be reserved for the gore served up by Skinner. In fact, Hammer Films actually turned down the chance to make Skinner due to the story being too disgusting for them. Don’t get us wrong, this isn’t a film that is overflowing with blood-soaked scene after blood-soaked scene, but Skinner is clever in how it spaces out its more intense moments and makes it impactful when the more gnarly moments are needed.

Fleshing out this 101 Films release, the look-back interviews – particularly the one with Ted Raimi – are entertaining and interesting, and then there are some extended scenes and outtakes included to round out the overall package.

All in all, Skinner doesn’t quite live up the notorious reputation it’s received over the years in terms of being a dirty little secret that horror hounds whispered about. It does have some nice cinematography and doesn’t pull back on the gore count, plus it’s always fun to see Ted Raimi given a headlining role, yet this is a movie that often feels too vacant or plain dull to really stay with you past a one-off viewing.

BOJACK HORSEMAN SEASON ONE

BOJACK HORSEMAN SEASON ONE (HMV EXCLUSIVE) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOEL MOSER / SCREENPLAY: RAPHAEL BOB-WAKSBERG / STARRING WILL ARNETT, AMY SEDARIS, ALISON BRIE, AARON PAUL / RELEASE DATE: 28TH OCTOBER

Watching the first season of BoJack Horseman is a treat whether it’s your first time or you’re revisiting the show you watched on Netflix all those years ago. For new viewers, the gradual (and then sudden) descent into the madness of BoJack’s world holds up as a sense-engorging trip, each new character and situation bringing fresh humour and despair. For returnees, early BoJack – when you know just how weird and bad things get for everyone – is just as funny and depressing, but in a different, time-weathered fashion.

From creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, BoJack Horseman is a washed-up former sitcom star who had one big hit in the 1990s, Horsin’ Around (think Diff’rent Strokes), and has been slowly self-destructing ever since. The characters in BoJack Horseman are a mix of straight-up humans and humanoid animals – BoJack is a literal horse – which lends a surreality to the show that can belie its serious content but which makes for some wonderfully exaggerated comic material.

Season one begins with BoJack being forced to hire a ghost writer for his memoirs, and settling on Diane Nguyen, who wrote an article he liked once and who also happens to be dating his 90s sitcom rival Mr Peanutbutter (an adorable Labrador man). Slowly, BoJack begins to fall for Diane, which confuses things in a life already complicated by his agent/ex-girlfriend Princess Caroline and Todd, the man-child living on his couch.

The first half of the season is above average stuff but it’s not until the show climbs over its mid-point that it truly begins to shine. From that point on, BoJack Horseman is a picture-perfect portrayal of narcissism, self-destruction, addiction, sexism, and traumatic human experience. It’s not for nothing that this show often comes with a trigger warning for those who are suffering from emotional difficulties.

As with many a modern animated show, the real stars of BoJack Horseman are the voice cast, led formidably by Will Arnett as the titular screw-up. He is ably backed by Alison Brie as Diane, Aaron Paul as Todd, and Paul F Tompkins as Mr Peanutbutter, but the standout is Amy Sedaris as Princess Caroline, and this will only become more apparent the more seasons you watch. Guest stars abound, too, with Kristen Schaal, Patton Oswalt, Stanley Tucci, and JK Simmons all turning up in the first season, and you’re often playing a fun game of “guess the voice” in between laughing and cringing at the set-ups.

These Blu-ray discs do not have much in the way of extras, with production animatics and one episode commentary, a far cry from the copious extras supplied with the US release of seasons one and two, but it’s not as if the show doesn’t sell itself.

Over its five (soon to be six) seasons, BoJack Horseman has taken us on a rollercoaster ride with its booze and pill-addicted protagonist, watching with split sides and through pained fingers as he messes up again and again and again. Worse still, BoJack is never the major casualty of his destructive behaviour, and yet somehow he remains a sympathetic character who you just want things to go well for. That’s good writing, that’s great performing, that’s good television.

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: SIMON KINBERG / STARRING: JAMES McAVOY, MICHAEL FASSBENDER, JENNIFER LAWRENCE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Fox’s X-Men film franchise is, without a doubt, one of the most inconsistent film series ever produced, going from strength (Logan, Days of Future Past) to weakness (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Apocalypse). The final instalment, Dark Phoenix, unfortunately falls into the latter category.

The film had an uphill struggle from the get go. Writer / producer Simon Kinberg had to step up as director after parting ways with controversial Bryan Singer even though he never directed in his life, and attempting to right the wrongs of X-Men: The Last Stand by trying to do justice to the Dark Phoenix story in a way that Last Stand couldn’t. The film’s release was pushed back a few times due to big re-shoots as a result of Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel, and Disney bought Fox, meaning this movie had to wrap up everything so that Marvel could relaunch the X-Men into the MCU. After all these sacrifices, the end product still doesn’t amount to anything of real emotional weight or substance. The X-Men story could easily have ended with either X-Men or Logan, both of which brought some finality but, instead, Fox and Kinberg decided to create a film that’s so unnecessary that, just like with the incredibly lacklustre Apocalypse, disrupts the credibility of the entire franchise.

Jean Grey, the Dark Phoenix of the film, is the central character we’re supposed to follow, the one to empathise with, as she’s experiencing the emotional and psychological turmoil. However, the movie that introduced her, Apocalypse, never really built Jean up as a character, and this film still fails on that front. Despite Sophie Turner turning in a decent performance (even with a wonky accent), the movie falls flat on its face in making us feel for Jean so, when bad stuff happens to her, nothing is felt. It’s as if Kinberg is attempting to deconstruct a character he never bothered to construct in the first place. The whole Dark Phoenix storyline rests on Jean as a well-rounded, multi-layered protagonist / antagonist, and if that fails then the whole thing fails.

While the confusing continuity of this franchise has been a long-running topic of discussion, this film is basically a giant middle finger to all of that, since little to nothing matches what happened before or what will happen afterwards in the already-muddled timeline. This series has constantly struggled to deliver compelling villains outside of Magneto, and the alien shapeshifters here are among the very worst examples. Apparently, they were originally supposed to be Skrulls but were drastically altered due to their appearances in the MCU. It shows, due to how very one-note and paper thin they are. Seriously, what’s the point of getting Jessica Chastain involved if you’re just going to have her deliver a very bored and lifeless performance? As for Magneto, he feels shoehorned into the plot with very little reason, and his motive for turning evil again briefly is as flimsy as it gets. As for the rest of the characters, Mystique is used as a glorified plot device, Quicksilver and Nightcrawler are given little to do, and why do these films hate Cyclops and Storm so much?

There are many more problems that beset X-Men: Dark Phoenix apart from what’s already been said, and this is a real shame since there are some things to appreciate: Hans Zimmer’s brilliant score, some neat ideas and concepts here and there, and the final action sequence being the only solid highlight of the whole film. But, just like The Last Stand, it fails massively when trying to tell an actual Dark Phoenix story. It fails to provide a genuine character arc for Jean Grey, the villains are incredibly boring, a lot of the characters feel marginalised and the direction is lifeless. While it isn’t the worst of Fox’s X-Men movies (both X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Apocalypse are slightly worse), this is still an underwhelming film that ends the series not with a bang, but a whimper.