It seems that the story of Frankenstein has had a bit of a resurgence of late. With Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-nominated version currently available on Netflix, now we have The Bride! An imaginative version of the 1935 Universal horror, The Bride of Frankenstein. Only this time, we don’t have to wait till the end to…
Tag: drama
Hoppers
Pixar has had a troubled time over the past few years. Where they were once the masters of pitch-perfect animations, with hit after hit, they have fallen to the side. Not saying the quality hasn’t been there, but the storytelling has been lacking. Movies like Elemental and Elio just haven’t connected with audiences, and so…
The Testament Of Ann Lee
One of the things about watching movies is that you do get to learn quite a bit about lives you had no idea about. Take The Testament of Ann Lee, the new film from the husband and wife team behind The Brutalist. They have taken the story of a woman who founded a religious group…
The Secret Agent
Movies can deliver a straightforward plot with very little in terms of themes or storytelling experimentation, while others go all out to make the experience worthwhile. The Secret Agent, a near-on three hour Brazilian movie from writer and director Kleber Mendonça Filho, does the latter. You think it is one thing, then it throws in…
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
There seems to be a current trend in cinema of pushing the audience to experience anxiety and pain, being led by the lead character. Marty Supreme, for example, is an experience of angst in which every step Marty takes leaves you with a knot in your stomach. Now comes Oscar-nominated If I Had Legs I’d…
“Wuthering Heights”
The hype behind Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel of forbidden love has been huge. Some have taken it upon themselves to criticise the casting immediately, and some have mentioned the content’s steaminess, but until you see the film, can you truly make a constructive decision about whether these concerns are warranted? Now…
Crime 101
One of the finest heist movies around is Michael Mann’s 1995 classic Heat. Set in Los Angeles, Mann uses the location as an integral part of the storytelling. We now have Crime 101, another heist thriller set in the City of Angels, which uses the legendary 101 freeway that runs along L.A.’s coast and is…
Nouvelle Vague
The French film Breathless is regarded as a milestone in cinema history. A French New Wave classic by controversial director Jean-Luc Godard, it was a film that threw the rulebook of storytelling and filmmaking out the window. It has since become an influential film for filmmakers and film students alike. Richard Linklater, the director of…
Is This Thing On?
Most comedians are famous in their home country, but few translate to other countries. So it was a huge surprise when it was announced that Liverpudlian comedian John Bishop was having a movie made based on the events that led to him becoming a comedian. Is This Thing On? is a movie directed by actor…
Rental Family
Rental families have been a huge business in Japan since the 80s. They are companies that hire actors to serve as family members or friends for events or to fill emotional gaps. This is something that I certainly haven’t heard about before, but now, with the arrival of Rental Family, a sweet, gentle comedy drama,…
The Voice of Hind Rajab
It’s not often you sit in a cinema with a packed audience in stunned silence during the end credits (unless there is some sequence you are expecting). Still, it happened with The Voice of Hind Rajab, a powerful, gut-wrenching drama based on actual events during the Israeli-Gaza war, that doesn’t need to be seen; it…
Hamnet
The awards season is upon us, and one of the front-runners for major awards is Hamnet, based on a best-selling book by Maggie O’Farrell and directed by Oscar-winning Chloe Zhao, returning to human drama after dabbling with the big-budget Marvel flop, Eternals. It has to be said that this isn’t a film if you are…
Stu Loves Film 