2019 Directors: Chris Bavota, Lee Paula Springer Starring: Jillian Harris, Heston Horwin, Matt Keyes Words – Nathan Scatcherd A sci-fi gallows comedy dealing with family trauma and co-dependence – with a Cronenbergian twist – Dead Dicks is a sharp and moving feature. When down-on-her-luck Becca receives some distressing messages from Richie, her mentally ill brother,…
Tag: comedy
Come To Daddy
2019 Director: Ant Timpson Starring: Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Michael Smiley, Madeleine Sami, Martin Donovan Words – Nathan Scatcherd Come to Daddy is a nasty little film. A grimy, bloody, off-kilter thriller with moments of pitch black comedy, anchored by a central performance from Elijah Wood as a man who goes to a mysterious secluded…
Leeds International Film Festival 2019
The Leeds International Film Festival is one of the UK’s premiere platforms for new and world cinema. Taking place every November at venues around the city, see our look at some of the films featured at the 2019 festival – click on the film title to see our review. The Lighthouse A visceral, hypnotic…
Extra Ordinary
2019 Directors: Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman Starring: Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte, Claudia O’Doherty Words – Carly Stevenson Rose (Maeve Higgins) is a driving instructor with an extraordinary talent: she can communicate with the dead. A kind widower named Martin (Barry Ward) tries to enlist her help when unexplained supernatural forces possess his teenage…
Little Monsters
2019 Director: Abe Forsythe Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England, Josh Gad Words – Carly Stevenson Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England and Josh Gad star in this uplifting, indie zom-com about the terrifying responsibilities of child rearing. After a recent breakup leaves him without a place to stay, washed-up musician Dave (Alexander England) crashes with his sister…
Tone-Deaf
2019 Director: Richard Bates Jr. Starring: Amanda Crew, Robert Patrick Words – Carly Stevenson Cross-generational conflict takes a grisly turn in Richard Bates Jr’s latest offering Tone-Deaf: a chaotic horror-comedy that interrogates the mounting tensions between ‘millennials’ and ‘baby boomers’ in contemporary America. The plot focuses on newly single and unemployed Olive (Amanda Crew), who…
Booksmart
2019 Director: Olivia Wilde Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Skyler Gisondo, Billie Lourd, Jason Sudeikis Words – Toni Stanger Olivia Wilde’s directorial feature-length debut Booksmart has been compared to other coming-of-age comedies, namely Superbad, and whilst it does draw comparisons to the films that came before it, Booksmart is unique in…
Thunder Road
Director: Jim Cummings Starring: Jim Cummings, Kendal Farr, Nican Robinson, Jocelyn DeBoer Words – Toni Stanger Thunder Road opens with Officer Jim Arnaud (Jim Cummings) delivering the eulogy at his mother’s funeral. It’s a 10-minute scene shot in one long, unbroken take, which is the perfect way to introduce us to this unravelling character. Jim…
The Favourite
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Starring: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, Mark Gatiss, Joe Alwyn, Jenny Rainsford Words – Rhiannon Topham The Favourite is horrible. By horrible, I mean the filthy, wicked kind of horrible which makes prudes feel queasy. By horrible, I mean the sort of crude material that forces my mum to…
Assassination Nation
2018 Director: Sam Levinson Starring: Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Suki Waterhouse, Abra, Joel McHale, Bill Skarsgård Words – Nathan Scatcherd If you’re lucky, every once in a while you’ll come across a film which completely blindsides you. A film you’re maybe interested in, sure, but it nonetheless manages to reveal itself to be so much…
