Review Category: Movie

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

We feel like we have waited almost two decades for Spider-Man: No Way Home to land in cinemas, and in many ways we have. The 27th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its biggest undertaking since The Russo Brothers’ two-film decade-long culmination in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, No Way Home had a lot riding on its red and blue shoulders. Not only does this film have immeasurably high expectations to live up to but it also had not just one but three generations of Spider-Man fans to satisfy as it did. It well and truly was buttock-clenching time for our favourite web-slinging hero (not that there are too many of those). Well, breathe one big sweet long sigh of relief web heads because No Way Home not only meets those grand standards it boldly aims for, it swings over them in style and delivers maybe the greatest entry in the MCU. And hands down the Phase 4 gold standard.

Despite the powers that be apparently wanting to keep secret the film’s exciting core concept up until release, the truth had to come out, this was a fact too big to hide from the ever prying eyes of the social media age (especially when you have a cast so loose-lipped in interviews too, naming no names). So, with that said, it is not too much of a spoiler to say that this film finally ambitiously opens up the idea of the Marvel multiverse. But there’s a little more to it than that…

Now infamous, after the events of Far From Home and his battle with master deceiver Mysterio, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) becomes public enemy #1 for the wrath of the world’s media and a very divisive figure among the people. The man behind Spider-Man is known to all now but this does far more than make it difficult to go shopping in peace, this identity reveal has brought with it real life-altering consequences for not only Peter but his friends and family as well. So, to sort this big problem, Peter relies on a big solution, asking for Dr. Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) help in conjuring up a spell to fix things. But those things soon spiral out of control even more and open up Peter’s world to a whole host of new issues and adversaries from realities beyond our own.

Tom Holland arguably cements his place as the greatest onscreen Spidey in a film that is filled with love for all that came before (and hope for what lies ahead), be it on the pages of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’s work, in Sam Raimi and Marc Webb’s previous onscreen adaptations, or even elsewhere. Holland’s performance is his very best work in the iconic part and fuels a film that has so much to offer everyone who could not wait to be sat there in that cinematorium taking it all in.

There is simply nothing else a fan could have hoped for here, No Way Home delivers on everything a filmgoing audience member could have reasonably (and for that matter unreasonably) expected, setting up great things down the line and tying up both beloved and even not so beloved franchise ideas, in a staggeringly well-handled piece of superhero filmmaking. Some huge comic book storytelling is put to breathtaking display on the big screen, conjuring sights and feats many never dreamed they would ever live to see on a mainstream level like this. This is spectacle sure, but it is also a film of great emotion and heart.

There are many returning faces, as the trailers have shown, but amidst this packed roster of characters and villainy, all remarkably have real purpose. Each villain particularly is treated with the utmost respect and gets their own brilliant arc in this spectacular story of rehabilitation, goodness and compassion, even – or rather especially – in the face of great loss, pain and sacrifice. A story that brings stakes with its exhilarating and inventive set prices and feeling with its characters, old and new, as eras combine in a blender of Spider-Man mythos that is expertly orchestrated by director Jon Watts and painstakingly mapped out by screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.

The surprises, reveals and crowd pleasing delights keep on coming and the film – from Michael Giacchino’s heartbeat-skipping musical riffs to the many joyous references – proves early and often that the wait was not only worth it but essential in building to a motion picture that just might have saved your friendly neighbourhood cinema. This is super heroic event cinema on a heck of scale aesthetically but also emotionally, which lives by that very powerful yet simple ethos Uncle Ben uttered all this years ago, and you simply have to see it on the big screen. You will feel like a kid again throughout. And you will understand, if you do not already, why this kid from Queens and his web-spinning has meant so much too so many for nigh on six decades and counting.

A marvel indeed.

THE ICE ROAD

Now considered a modern-day Charles Bronson by many, Liam Neeson’s action film future is constantly being discussed in terms of the longevity it has left. Now 69, many are wondering how much longer he can keep wielding those particular sets of skills but if his latest effort is anything to go by, we’d say he has a lot more petrol left in the tank, and as the near 79-year-old Harrison Ford is donning the hat and bullwhip to ride again as Indy, we must remember that age-old cinema rule: you cannot keep a good action hero down. Even in freeze your nips off weather it seems! Which is where The Ice Road comes in, as Liam is once again doing battle out in the cold.

After an explosion at a mine in Manitoba traps 26 miners underground with a dwindling air supply, there is a brief crucial window in which to mount an ambitious rescue mission to free them. This rescue involves a group of truckers being gathered to brave the perilous ice roads out of season, circumnavigating the precarious environment to deliver some life-saving wellheads. But the climate is not all that stands in their way, as a greed-fuelled cruel conspiracy may be at play.

In the Neeson Season sub-genre, we have seen amnesiac Neeson, snow plough Neeson, angry dad Neeson, detective Neeson, air marshall Neeson, commuter Neeson and even kind-hearted criminal Neeson, and his latest outing is yet another enjoyable entry into that highly entertaining catalogue of rugged heroes, proving Neeson is really one of the best and most reliably great action stars of our time. And long may it last say we!

Once more, we have one of his films here relishing harking back (even in the admittedly dated special effects) to 90s high concept cinema blasts (think Hard Rain). The Ice Road is just the right kind of ridiculous though, from the corporate scum bag villains to the icy fistfights, it’s a harsh weather off-road action thriller that feels like a cross between Tony Scott’s Unstoppable and History’s Ice Road Truckers. With maybe a dash of Armageddon.

This part rescue/part revenge/part brotherhood story may be predictable in many ways. For instance, the baddies can be seen coming about 30 miles off and certain scenes feel token to this type of working hero yarn. But the film is so entertaining with all this material, and effectively human with the presentation of its characters, that it never crashes inescapably and irredeemably through the ice into the waters of utterly distracting implausibility. It remains fast fun, with constant against all odds turmoil and a genuine heart beneath the ice fracturing set pieces.

Neeson as ever is a great lead and is accompanied by heartfelt supporting turns from Marcus Thomas as his PTSD and aphasia suffering veteran brother Gurty (the soul of the entire film) and Amber Midthunder as the rebellious Tantoo, a woman who tells it how it is and feels a duty to fight the flawed world as it currently stands. It’s also nice to see Laurence Fishburne here, in a more limited role, as the man bringing together this ragtag crew of drivers for this seemingly impossible rescue.

You know exactly what you want here, and writer/director Jonathan Hensleigh (in his first film in 10 years) seems to too, and delivers the goods entertainment-wise. However, in prioritising the film’s heart and proud working-class spirit, he also gives us a rousing tribute to real people who come together and just do it, as well as a timely middle finger to those greedy corporate powers that love the old cashola above everything and everyone else.

Enjoy the ride.

THE ICE ROAD is out on DVD/Blu-ray from Jan 10th

SEE FOR ME

A home invasion movie that pits a tough-as-nails visually impaired person against a gang of out-of-their-depth robbers. One-time ski champion Sophie (Skyler Davenport) may not have the gulf war experience or murderous rage of Don’t Breathe’s Stephen Lang, but there are plenty of morally grey shades to See For Me.

Bitter and resentful at having lost her eyesight, Sophie relieves her frustrations by robbing the homes of the people she cat-sits for (in this case, Laura Vandervoort), playing on their condescending sense of pity towards her. Taking on a gig in a secluded country mansion, Sophie finds herself playing host to some unexpected visitors when a gang of thieves break into rob the homeowners’ safe. The ace up Sophie’s sleeve: seeing-eye-app See For Me, and its operator Kelly (Jessica Parker Kennedy). Through video chat, Kelly helps Sophie navigate a house full of thugs, putting her own experience as a war veteran and FPS aficionado to good use. But can the young hothead keep her cool for long enough to follow Kelly’s advice? Or is a Leroy Jenkins-style bugout on the cards?

Randall Okita’s home invasion thriller treads little new ground – it’s The Call by way of Panic Room – but boasts an interesting set of heroes and villains. Trading in morally grey hues, its heroes aren’t as polished or perfect as one might expect; its villains disarmingly reasonable. Like Sophie herself, Okita and writers Adam Yorke and Tommy Gushue play on viewers’ perception of the hero, making Sophie deliberately hard to like. The laid-back villains aren’t a particularly threatening or imposing lot, but the film’s action sequences are well-done, making good use of the See For Me technology.

With the film’s big-name star not making his appearance until late in the game, the film’s trajectory is a predictable one, but no less tense, nor thrilling. See For Me is a smart take on a well-worn subgenre, making up for lack of invention with an alarming sense of efficiency.

Signature Entertainment presents See For Me on Digital Platforms January 24th

TED BUNDY: AMERICAN BOOGEYMAN

Ted Bundy has been immortalised in countless movies, documentaries, podcasts, books, the list goes on. So, it’s important to keep an open mind when reviewing yet another re-telling of the serial killer’s grisly crimes. And with that said, Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is perhaps the most pointless and pathetic Ted Bundy portrayal to ever disappoint our screens.

Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile sees Ted Bundy (played by Zac Efron) from the perspective of his unbelieving girlfriend, Liz (Lily Collins), the Netflix documentary Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, also directed by Berlinger, focuses on audio recordings from the infamous killer’s interviews with author Stephen G. Michaud, so what’s the angle of Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman? Well, it stays true to its title and casts Bundy as a creepy, goes-bump-in-the-night bogey man.

Everything we know about Bundy: a calculated, psychotic killer who lured women to their deaths with his nice-guy charm and good looks, goes out of the window with Daniel Farrands’ Boogeyman. Chad Michael Murray’s Ted Bundy is sloppy and inadequate, and we see him fail to kidnap young girls more times than he succeeds. Bundy’s supposed good looks – which he notoriously used to gain the trust of his victims – is replaced with sorority girls naming him “creepy Chris”. Then, in an attempt to include as many horror movie tropes as possible – look, he’s behind you! – Murray’s Bundy is portrayed as a stalker, who chases his victims through dark, eerie greenhouses (we know…).

In addition to the movie’s factual inaccuracies, the acting is wooden, and who on earth decided to cast Chad Michael Murray (of One Tree Hill and A Cinderella Story fame) as Ted Bundy, and, even worse, thought he’d be believable? The man who texted Hilary Duff ‘PRINCETONGIRL818 where have u been? We haven’t talked in ages’ – really? There’s only so much acting an actor can do.

However, the biggest failure of this 2021 movie is its insensitivity. Ted Bundy confessed to murdering 36 women, and it’s estimated he kidnapped, raped, and killed 100 more. It’s a disgusting chain of events that should be handled with extreme care should anyone be possessed to tell them. Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is offensive with its portrayal of Bundy’s victims. In one scene, we see Ted – using the fake name Chris – having a nightmare about women dressed in latex hitting him with sex toys. This reduces his acts to at the very most sexual violence; there is absolutely no need to draw the comparison of his abhorrent crimes against women to him feeling like a ‘victim’ of women in his nightmare.

It’s important to watch a film with few expectations and an open mind. Except for this one, expect that it’s going to be shit.

Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman is available via digital outlets now.

THE GHOSTS OF BORLEY RECTORY

Early on in Steven M. Smith’s The Ghosts of Borley Rectory, one character asks, ‘…what do you hope to achieve with this?’, and it’s a valid question. Because if you’re going to tackle a renowned ghost story then you should aim to at least bring something new and original to the story. And frustratingly, Smith doesn’t.

From the outset, there is a docudrama feel to proceedings, as if what you’re viewing is really a re-enactment for some obscure digital history channel, with the dialogue awkward and the direction static and uninspiring. Frequent use of ‘old chap’, ‘my dear boy’ and ‘jolly good’ clutter the script, and with clumsy regional accents coupled with unnecessarily earnest acting, you never feel at all engaged with what’s on-screen.

Harry Price’s investigations into the alleged hauntings at Borley are well documented. Whether authentic or fraudulent isn’t an issue tackled by Smith’s film; instead, he focuses on developing the darker side of events, with the infamous nun portrayed as a deeply malevolent figure. There are occasionally effective moments but the reliance on routine genre tricks plucked from a well-used repertoire of cinematic tropes quickly becomes tedious.

In recent years, the ghost story has moved on with Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting series raising the bar as to what can be achieved with a familiar, well-known story. This is the benchmark for emotionally connected, ghostly tales and, while Smith’s film seems to reference similar themes in places, it never replicates the energy and intensity required.

Sadly, what remains is a film that plods along to a dull finale and leaves you wondering why it was even made at all.

For a considerably more interesting, if still flawed, take on the legend Ashley Carrion’s 2017 part-animated film Borley Rectory is available on Netflix.

The Ghosts of Borley Rectory is available on DVD and digital now.

THE ADVENT CALENDAR

A bit of festive fun becomes a Noel nightmare when Eva (Eugénie Derouand) is gifted an antique wooden advent calendar by a friend. Opening up and munching her way through the chocolates inside, Eva finds her greatest wishes coming true. Her dementia-stricken dad manages a telephone call on her birthday; the hunky nurse in the park strikes up conversation; most impressively, one chocolate even helps the paraplegic to walk for short periods.

But, as any Twilight Zone fan will tell you, such gifts always come at a hefty price. In Eva’s case, it’s a set of terms and conditions that really should have been heeded – reminiscent of the video from The Ring. Don’t eat all the chocs? You die. Try to throw the advent calendar away? You die. Don’t follow the instructions inside? Yep, you guessed it. All of which spells a miserable Christmas for Eva’s friends and family, her dog and her boyfriend, and, of course, Eva herself.

Bursts of extreme silliness punctuate this bleak, unsettling horror story, Eva’s journey becoming more ludicrous with each revelation. As the calendar doors continue to open, so the stakes are raised, and Eva’s festive gifts come at a greater price each time. Writer and director Patrick Ridremont’s pacing is a little off, but he has a good eye and ear for the nightmarish. Between the monstrous demon and the film’s nastier moments of splatter, this advent calendar has plenty of grisly goodies hiding behind its doors.

The story is too familiar to be truly shocking, but there are plenty of surprises in store, even as the inexpensive, mildly same-y taste of advent calendar chocolate (you know the type) begins to lose its novelty.

PUPPET KILLER

Raised on a diet of horror movies and motherly love, little Jamie (Jett Klyne) is distraught when mom dies of cancer. Clinging to the VHS tapes of her favourite slasher movies – and Simon, the stuffed toy she gifted to him at Christmas – Jamie is horrified when his stepmother throws it all away. After the argument which follows, stepmom promptly disappears, leaving Jamie convinced that Simon was the one who did it.

Years later, Jamie (all grown up, now Aleks Paunovic) is a high school senior, still struggling with the death of his mother, and Simon’s alleged crimes. Regardless, he decides to face his old demons by heading back to the childhood cabin where it all went down, with his girlfriend (Lisa Durupt) and school chums in tow. With a cabin crammed full of fresh meat, it isn’t long before Simon dusts himself off to continue down his murderous path. But is Jamie’s shabby old muppet really responsible… or is Jamie far more disturbed and deranged than his dim-bulb exterior lets on?

Ah, who are we kidding? It’s the puppet. Like the disconcertingly similar Benny Loves You, this comedy slasher film puts its fluffy menace front and centre, mining comedy from the sight of a Jim Henson reject running amok like Jack Torrance in The Shining. The horror references come thick and fast, employing a whole basement chock full of genre iconography (there’s Freddy’s glove; Jason’s mask). Cult favourites Jen and Sylvia Soska pop up too, plus a cameo from budget scream queen Jessica Cameron.

That’s one of only two jokes up the film’s sleeve – the other being the casting of fifty-odd-year-old Paunovic as Jamie. Unlike the puppet, the sight of a bunch of middle-aged men and women playing high schoolers doesn’t wear thin, and Paunovic carries the weight of a leading role well. It’s frequently funny, even as the rest grates and repeats itself; an uninspired yet amusing slasher take on Wet Hot American Summer.

Puppet Killer is available from digital outlets now.

ENCOUNTER

Beast filmmaker Michael Pearce’s second feature offers another engaging, character-driven story wrapped in a genre-bending package. Encounter stars Riz Ahmed (Venom, The OA) as Malik Khan, a decorated former Marine and father who will do anything to save his two sons from an Invasion of the Body Snatchers-type of parasitic alien invasion.

A tightly wound film that incorporates elements of science-fiction, creature features, and psychological thrillers, Encounter is as creepy and paranoid as it is heartfelt. Paramount to this are the film’s core performances; as always, Ahmed delivers an engaging and moving turn as a man torn between his paternal instinct and his militaristic determination to survive. Octavia Spencer (Ma, The Witches) also shines in an understated role as Malik’s parole officer, but it’s Lucian River-Chaudan and Aditya Geddada who steal the show (and audiences’ hearts) as Jay and younger child Bobby Khan.

For fear of spoiling the twists and turns of the script, let us just say that Encounter is a surprisingly layered, meaty film. Pearce’s use of a muted palette, offbeat editing and minimal CGI keep Encounter from falling into genre tropes, and instead keep the viewers guessing as to what comes next. Though there is one instance where filmmakers’ attempt to subvert expectations registers as rather clumsy, it’s a single occurrence in a film that’s otherwise skilfully crafted – particularly when it comes to its rendering of the creepy-crawly aliens burrowing into flesh and scurrying inside people’s eyeballs.

A deceivingly simple and well-executed film anchored by tender performances from Ahmed, Chauhan and Geddada, Encounter is a lovely portrait of familial love that cements Michael Pearce’s status as a director to watch.

Encounter is out in cinemas from December 3rd, and on Amazon Prime video from December 10th.

CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG

We have a natural hesitation when it comes to Live-Action takes on childhood favourites. Be they of page or small screen origin. No doubt about it, the years of Yogi Bear and Cat in the Hat misfires have certainly painted a wonky picture of expectation, but sometimes we really need not worry. After all, we remember when cynical people edited those first shots of Paddington from Paul King’s 2014 film into horror movie scenes (oh yes, we remember…), and look how that turned out eh?

That said, Clifford The Big Red Dog, based on Norman Bridwell’s book series of the same name, may not be quite Paddington level when it comes to masterful children’s book-to-screen entertainment. But the audience will likely love it nonetheless.

The plot follows young girl Emily Elizabeth Howard (Darby Camp), who is bullied at her school and struggles to fit in, but when her hard working mother leaves her in the care of her clumsy if well-intentioned uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall), Emily finds a new friend in the unlikeliest of places at an animal rescue tent, operated by the kind and mysterious Mr. Bridwell (John Cleese).

From the opening moments (this writer will be honest they teared up a bit), Clifford the Big Red Dog strikes you as something a tad unexpected and it grips you right there and then. Yes, the story does not shy away from some cliches and the CGI is not as seamless as others of its ilk, but this was a piece of family entertainment that didn’t need to desperately pander to cringingly forced modern whims (hello there Tom and Jerry: The Movie) but tapped into something more ageless and rather magical, an animal’s power to bring us all together.

Clifford the Big Red Dog has a heart the size of its adorable CG star, and is accompanied by great messages about embracing our differences, having the confidence to change our world and celebrating the power of community. A fun treat for the little ones, which is likely to be adored in the same way this writer’s generation has come to embrace the likes of Hook, Space Jam, Flubber, Casper, The Grinch and Jumanji. It felt very much like a throwback, one free of the modern day family movie’s annoying obsession with execrable “trendy” gags and set pieces centred around tech-pushing corporate slants.

Clifford is really rather lovely family entertainment and a great big hug of a film. Admittedly its story takes some wacky turns (with greedy lying cloning CEOs and whatnot) but with massively likeable performances from a diverse cast of really sweet characters (from Whitehall to the charming young Isaac Wang as Emily’s friend Owen), a great big dollop of warmth and one heck of a tribute to the source material and its maker in the shape of Cleese’s enchanting role, Clifford the Big Red Dog is a joy to sit through for young and old alike.

A Huge surprise.

Clifford The Big Red Dog is showing now, in cinemas and on Paramount+ in the US, it is released exclusively in cinemas on December 10th in the UK.

SON

With 2014’s The Canal, writer and director Ivan Kavanagh demonstrated an aptitude for psychological horror. Son feels like a natural progression, adapting a Rosemary’s Baby influenced storyline to show what might have happened had Rosemary escaped the devil worshippers and fled with her child. Oh, and there’s more blood. An awful lot more blood.

In a seemingly idyllic suburbia, Laura (the excellent Andi Matichak) is raising her son David (Luke David Blumm) alone. But when he begins to exhibit signs of a mystery illness it seems Laura’s hidden past has finally caught up with her.

Cults are scary, let’s all agree on that. And especially ones built on a belief in the imminent arrival of a devil-child. So, when Laura suspects that the one she escaped from as a teenager has returned to claim her son you can understand her concern. Only, was the cult real or is she, according to her former psychiatrist, simply making it up to distract from her own crimes?

Kavanagh’s themes of questionable reality, coupled with a seemingly unreliable narrator give Son an unsettling, rather untrustworthy atmosphere, leading to a finale that may prove divisive depending upon your position. This may be a well-trodden path for horror movies, but Kavanagh expertly crafts his tale, allowing questions to linger, maintaining interest by casting enough doubt on what is real and what is fantasy.

And this is bold filmmaking; some of the imagery, and certain scenes, are unflinchingly brutal and gruesomely striking, repeatedly challenging the audience.

With Son Kavanagh has proven his filmmaking instincts are strong, drawn intense performances from a strong cast, and delivered a horror film worthy of the name.

Son is streaming on Shudder.