Asylum seeker has to convince hardened immigration officer that his plight is genuine in order to avoid deportation to a country where he will face certain death - British drama is in cinemas and VoD [Read More...]
The harshness and poetry of immigrant life is empathetically rendered in this quiet slice-of-life drama about the power of human connection under difficult constraints - in cinemas Friday, June 21st [Read More...]
Dirty writer Paul Risker argues that James Gardner’s feature debut is a scathing social and political indictment, bursting their proverbial bubble of a utopian dream of British unity [Read More...]
Young couple grapples with IVF while attempting to keep the spark in their relationship alive, in this heartfelt yet emotionally draining British drama - in cinemas and on demand Friday, July 12th [Read More...]
Colin Firth stars as well-intentioned UK navy captain who led the British efforts to rescue the crew of the Kursk, in submarine drama infused with geopolitical flavours - in cinemas, digital HD, and now also on Netflix [Read More...]
Fifteen-year-old girl is deported to Siberia during the Soviet occupation of the Baltic nations, in a film with strong echoes of Steven Spielberg's most harrowing movie - on DVD and digital HD on Monday, July 15th [Read More...]
The Argentinian football superstar's turbulent years in Naples are the central pillar of Asif Kapadia's third biopic - now available on VoD [Read More...]
The only way is up! Indian tale about social about social ascension and elevators is delightful to watch, yet it falls in the trappings it set out to avoid - now available on Netflix [Read More...]
Crack addicts dwelling in a semi-open rehab in Sao Paulo grapple with recovery, in this moving yet harrowing documentary - from Sheffield Doc Fest [Read More...]
In Thailand, a carer looks after wealthy Europeans with Alzheimer's, and is left unable to care for her own family - from the Sheffield Doc Fest [Read More...]
Irish photojournalist documents his partnership with PJ Harvey on her 2016 album The Hope Six Demolition Project - in cinemas Friday, November 8th, and also on Mubi [Read More...]
Tragedy turns into amusement, in this elaborate trinket of British filmmaking dealing with scrabble and starring a magnificent Bill Nighy - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Highly personal Brazilian doc about the recent collapse of democratic institutions in the Latin American nation is a sobering and painful reminder that the individual and the political establishment are inextricable - on Netflix [Read More...]
Never-seen-before footage and audio recordings of Nasa's first moon landing is as close as you will get to a real-life Stanley Kubrick movie - on VoD on Monday, November 11th [Read More...]
Three documentarists travel to every corner of the planet in order to register the irreversible impact that humans have on our planet - from Sheffield Doc Fest [Read More...]
The eternal conflict between art and commerce is stylishly presented in this documentary, charting the rise and fall of one of the US's top fashion designers - in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]
British comedy still retains the ability to pierce right through the rotten heart of the country's class system - 70th anniversary edition of Ealing Studios' classic is in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]
Black teen grapples with his dysfunctional family and his national identity, in this very personal coming-of-age drama - now available on VoD (including Netflix) [Read More...]
Nifty comedy about pitfalls and prejudices of showbiz starring Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling is delightful to watch - in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]
Starring acclaimed dancer Bobbi Jene Smith, this is the tale of a London dancer caught between the beauty of choreography and the constraints of reality - in cinemas and VoD [Read More...]
Stephen Bannon travels to Europe and makes new friends in the far-right, while also campaigning for Republicans in the US, in this fly-on-the-wall type of doc - in cinemas on Friday, July 12th. [Read More...]
Living in a conflict-ridden Kashmir, a "half widow" must find the strength to fight for herself in an absurd situation all too real - from the London Indian Film Festival [Read More...]
Libyan documentary follows females footballers as they struggle to overcome a number of barriers in the post-Gaddafi era - on Mubi on Friday, July 31st [Read More...]
Polar fracking throws the Earth off its axis, thereby reanimating the undead - Jim Jarmusch's wonderfully silly and star-studded zombie comedy is now available on VoD [Read More...]
Young female painter is commissioned to create the wedding portrait of Heloise without her realising it, in exquisite romance meditating on subtle male oppression - now available on MUBI [Read More...]
Criminals use ancestral whistling language from the Canary Islands in order to communicate with each other, in extremely jumbled up thriller set between Bucharest and Spain - on Netflix from December [Read More...]
Keanu Reeves's titular character refuses to die, in awe-inspiring folktale about the odds of overcoming the impossible - third instalment of franchise is in cinemas Friday, May 24th [Read More...]
Palestinian director asks fundamental questions about being a "stranger" abroad, in absurdist political comedy with echoes of Mr Bean - now on BFI Player [Read More...]
Eighth feature by prodigy French Canadian filmmaker tells the story of two childhood friends who are asked to share a kiss for a student film, raising questions about their sexual preference - now available on Mubi [Read More...]
Doc produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio investigates novel ways of sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere - live from Cannes [Read More...]
A family of charlatans takes up prestigious jobs with a mega-rich family, in Korean comedy-thriller about social climbers and failed capitalistic dreams - BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNER is on VoD on Monday, June 1st [Read More...]
Drama fictionalises the economic crisis of mid to late 1990s South Korea and the role played by banking, government and speculators – teaser screening from the London Korean Film Festival [Read More...]
Isabelle Huppert plays an ailing film star who travels to Portugal for a final family reunion before she dies, but the encounter is dogged by resentment, invidiousness, anger and despair - on VoD on Monday, September 20th [Read More...]
Young Muslim is lured into radicalisation, waging a solitary jihad against with his own bare hands - the latest film by the Dardenne brothers is on Curzon Home Cinema on Friday, August 7th [Read More...]
Aspiring actress has to grapple with lewd and manipulative filmmaker, in cleverly multilayered psychological drama from China - on Mubi on Tuesday, July 13th [Read More...]
The story of two Brazilian sisters separated by a twist of fate in a country infested with sexist attitudes is one of the finest Brazilian melodramas ever made - now on various VoD platforms (including BFI Player) [Read More...]
Teen discovers a disturbing video which suggests that she may have been raped, in a film raising questions about consent under the influence of alcohol - live from Cannes [Read More...]
Texan Copper pays a heartfelt yet awkward tribute to his mother during her funeral, unbeknownst to others that his life is collapsing in more ways than one - now available on VoD [Read More...]
As Dennis Hopper's classic Easy Rider turns 50, Steve Naish examines the film's influence on the work of other directors (such as Tarantino) and argues it still resonates now, in the light of Trump's racist rhetoric [Read More...]
The enfant terrible of French cinema is back, this time with a tortuous and torturous featurette about the menacing (male) filmmaker and the vulnerable actress; featuring Charlotte Gainsbourg - on Arrow Films on June 3rd [Read More...]
Documentary about the late Czech director investigates the life and work of a very subversive artist who challenged the Communist regime and found professional fulfilment in Hollywood - live from Cannes [Read More...]
Fugitive thriller set in a gloomy and despondent China excels in visual excellence and technical wizardry, yet its plot is tedious and banal - now available on Mubi [Read More...]
Pedro Almodóvar bares his soul in his most personal movie yet, about an ageing and ailing filmmaker searching for inspiration inside his own frail existence - now available on VoD (on Mubi in June/July) [Read More...]
Senegalese film by first-time director blends an exquisite photography with strange traditions and eerie superstitions - in cinemas on Friday, November 29th [Read More...]
Sorry Britain failed you!!! A delivery man struggles to meet his inhumane targets, in Ken Loach's latest exposé of Britain's failed capitalism - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Staunch Scotsman travels to San Francisco in search of cancer treatment, where he has to engage with his estranged son - auspicious drama starring Brian Cox in cinemas Friday, May 31st [Read More...]
French animation follows two young lovers in Taliban-occupied Kabul, portraying life under the oppressive regime in a colourful yet frank light - from Cannes and Annecy [Read More...]
Brazilian filmmakers deliver ultra-violent and wacky sci-fi ornated with historical allusions and spiced with political flavours - on Mubi on Friday, May 27th [Read More...]
Watch the brand new trailer for Richard Linklater's lates film (with Cate Blanchett in the lead), which is out in cinemas later this year (exact release date tbc) [Read More...]
Renowned mountaineer pierces together his momentous life with the help of books and images from the past, as he encounters his worst enemy ever: memory loss - in cinemas Friday, May 10th. [Read More...]
Four boys in the Welsh countryside of the 1970s grapple with an unexpected tragedy, and face the premature tensions of adulthood, in a film with strong echoes of Boyz n The Hood - in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]
A victim of domestic abuse turns into for-hire vigilante, in this satisfying American revenge tale - in cinemas and also on digital HD on Friday, May 31st. [Read More...]
Strangers on their way to a wedding bond through their mutual hate of pretty much everything and everyone they know, in romcom featuring Keanu Reevs and Winona Ryder - in cinemas Friday, May 10th [Read More...]
Till death do us part? Daughter of a man on death row falls in love with a female campaigning for the death penalty, in British-American romance starring Kate Mara and Ellen Page at the top of their game - on VoD on Monday, August 5th [Read More...]
One swallow does make a Summer! Wilfully wacky Icelandic comedy about radical environmental activist waging a war against the local aluminium factory has some delightful moments - now available on Mubi [Read More...]
Calum Cooper argues that adolescent melancholy can be strangely soothing, and that the portrayal of anxiety in Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade is gently reassuring! [Read More...]
It is a movie that has been speculated about for almost a decade, but rumours have once again emerged this year regarding the prospect of a new big-screen take on the story of Cleopatra! [Read More...]
Black girl meets white boy in Nazi Germany, what could go wrong? Romantic war drama raises questions about unshakeable national identity, in a story with many parallels to the Brexit narrative - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Austrian drama about female sailor confronted with a wrecked boat full of perishing refugees raises urgent and pertinent moral questions - in cinemas Friday, April 26th [Read More...]
Redmond Bacon argues that the British comedy is a prescient denunciation of populism and the "blithering idiots" leading the world - dirty classic is back in cinemas on Good Friday (April 7th) [Read More...]
Proselytising piece of evangelical propaganda demonises Islam and atheists, in addition to being extremely poorly crafted - stay away from cinemas this Good Friday [Read More...]
Director/co-writer Jack Bryan's film showcases a comprehensive account of Russian interference during the controversial 2016 US presidential elections - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Tender portrait of iconic ballet dancer doubles up as an exploration of fatherhood and also of the artist's home nation Cuba - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Aretha Franklin's performance from 50 years ago is soulful and uplifting, reminding us that music transcends religious traditions - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Two siblings with a very peculiar surname embark on a wild wild journey, in French director's dark, amusing and yet profound Western - on Netflix on Friday, March 12th [Read More...]
Documentary follows the tragic predicament underwater oil worker with just minutes of oxygen left to survive after his equipment breaks down - in cinemas Friday, Apriil 5th [Read More...]
Kristen Stewart plays JT LeRoy's stand-in Savannah Knoop in film based on the latter's memoirs, adding yet another elusive layer of truth to the elaborate literary hoax saga - in cinemas and also on VoD [Read More...]
Giallo-inspired and brazenly gay serial murder story from France features a magnetic Vanessa Paradis in the lead and an electrifying music score - in cinemas Friday, July 5th [Read More...]
Spy drama starring a "communist" Judi Dench raises moral questions about national allegiances and world peace - in cinemas Friday, April 19th [Read More...]
People born with both sexes are beginning to challenge the established orthodoxy of binarism, but they face an uphill struggle - from BFI Flare [Read More...]
Four friends seeking relaxation in an luxurious villa instead are confronted with ghost of the pasts, as a mysterious visitor is about to arrive - now available on BFI Player [Read More...]
Musical drama starring Natalie Portman examines the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity culture, yet it never explicitly tackles its false values - in cinemas Friday, May 3rd [Read More...]
Jafar Panahi's latest feature is extremely inventive in its narrative devices, while also deep diving into the old traditions of rural Iran - in cinemas Friday, March 29th [Read More...]
Homosexuality of nine-year-old begins to flourish as he contends with his dysfunctional household, in lyrical drama based on eponymous novel - in cinemas and also on VoD [Read More...]
Explore the romantic and sexual pleasures of water, in this documentary about "ecosexuality" (literally, making love to the Earth) - from BFI Flare [Read More...]
Exquisite Vietnamese drama investigates a society where tradition and social expectation govern the lives of everyone, and a woman is defined by the ability to reproduce - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Documentary investigates how creative artist with multiple skills got trapped inside his papier-mache-headed character - in cinemas Friday, March 29th and then on VoD on Monday, April 1st [Read More...]
Three young men find a healing tool in skateboarding for their dysfunctional family lives - documentary set in Illinois is out in cinemas Friday, March 22nd, and on VoD on Monday, March 25th [Read More...]
As Stanley Kubrick's ultraviolent and dystopian crime thriller hits UK cinemas almost five decades after its original release, Redmond Bacon investigates what's beneath the surface - out on Friday, April 5th [Read More...]
Our reader Karin Thimm describes the very film and the very sequence that gave her a renewed sense of purpose in life, after an acrimonious divorce battle at the age of just 20! [Read More...]
The trans drama GIRL has encountered fierce criticism amongst our readers and elsewhere because it was directed and starred by cis men. Should cis artists refrain from taking the lead in trans films? [Read More...]
Self-proclaimed nuns challenge the American federal establishment and old prejudices by setting up a marijuana business for medicinal purposes - in cinemas and digital HD on Friday, April 26th [Read More...]
Director of Embrace of the Serpent delivers crime drama set in Colombia of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, as indigenous traditions are quickly corrupted by the booming drug trade - in cinemas Friday, May 17th [Read More...]
Part live action, part animated! Biographical documentary Doozy offers a creative yet partial portrait of TV legend Paul Lynde - in selected cinemas across the UK from Tuesday, April 23rd [Read More...]
Paolo Sorrentino's political satire drama is a kick in the balls to populist governments. It makes Michael Moore look like a pussy cat - from the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival, where the director received the honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award [Read More...]
David Robert Mitchell's neo-noir is a surreal LA fantasy with a terrific Andrew Garfield and a problematic male gaze - now streaming on Mubi [Read More...]
Young filmmaker uses his own romantic life as the source material for his films, until one day one blossoming love changes the course of his career - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Mommy and daddy are elated as their little son shows signs of rapid development and extreme intelligence, unaware that these are symptoms of something very sinister - now available on Netflix [Read More...]
War is ugly and absurd! Sergei Loznitsa's twisted and grotesque allegory of the ongoing War in Donbass has good moments but lacks the lyrical genius of his previous works - in cinemas on Friday, April 26th, and on VoD on Monday, April 29th [Read More...]
A small mining village is teeming with teenage hormones, Summer dreams and real-life deceptions, in profoundly sensitive and moving drama by first-time director - on VoD on Monday, August 19th. [Read More...]
Sailing against the current! Doc about first all-women crew of an around-the-world yacht race is an ode to female perseverance in a macho world - on VoD Monday, September 30th [Read More...]
Brazilian students protest and occupy hundreds of schools, demanding better public education and the end of austerity measures, in fascinating documentary about grassroots empowerment - from Sheffield Doc Fest [Read More...]
Maggie Gyllenhaal delivers auspicious performance and shines, despite playing a mostly disjointed character in awkward film about a small child poet - now available on VoD; on Mubi in November [Read More...]
Chaka Khan, James Taylor, Graham Nash and many others join forces on stage in order to celebrate a living songwriting legend - in cinemas on Thursday, March 21st [Read More...]
Biopic of British wrestling diva Paige is effective enough even for non-fans of the sport, despite a few shortcomings - in cinemas Wednesday, February 27th [Read More...]
A profoundly moving Charlotte Rampling stars in bleak and brutally honest character examination set in Belgium - in UK cinemas Friday, March 1st [Read More...]
British gangster movie has historical depth, but it's ultimately watered down by down by a run-of-the-mill script and countless cliches - on Netflix from January 11th [Read More...]
Animated doc featuring British playwright David Hare examines the ugly wall imprisoning Palestinians, described as "the perfect crime" - in selected cinemas from February 27th [Read More...]
Ridley Scott's classic is one of the most subversive films ever made for more reasons than one, and it's getting a 4k restoration just in time for its 40th anniversary - in cinemas Friday, March 1st [Read More...]
Argentinean film about three LGBT friends who encounter an alien at granny's has echoes of Alfonso Cuaron and Nicolas Roeg - winner of the Teddy Bear award in Berlin [Read More...]
Fractured mind, fractured filmmaking! Experimental director and young actress deliver an audacious and jarring study of mental illness, often blurring the line between performance and reality - now on Amazon Prime [Read More...]
A 20th anniversary restoration of Hideo Nakata's groundbreaking slow burn psychological horror is in cinemas and also on Blu-ray on Friday, March 1st [Read More...]
Ugly problems surface when dysfunctional family goes on holidays in dejected seaside town, in British dirty gem starring Samantha Morton and Billie Piper - available for digital download on Monday, February 25th [Read More...]
Eerie sci-fi travels to a near-future and uncovers a Brazil intoxicated with bizarre evangelical practices - from the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]
Wang Xiaoshuai's weepie is a highlight of Berlinale, with a vastly and rapidly changing China the political backdrop for intense family tragedy - now also available on Mubi [Read More...]
Impoverished Brazilian town finds a new purpose in the manufacturing of jeans, with locals working round-the-clock in order to earn money for the yearly Carnival festivities - from Sheffield Doc Fest [Read More...]
Bosnian documentary reflects on the vacuum left by communism, and the myriad ways that different towns reinvented themselves in order to adapt to the new order - live from Berlin [Read More...]
Biopic of Brazilian revolutionary Carlos Marighella is very audacious in its content and yet very conservative in its format - live from Berlin [Read More...]
GOLDEN BEAR WINNER! Israeli film set in France mocks nationalism from both nations with an absurdist tone reminiscent of Yorgos Lanthimos - live from Berlin [Read More...]
Audacious Brazilian film examines queerness at old age with a tender and empathetic tone, while also revealing that solitude is powerful venting outlet - from BFI Flare [Read More...]
Agnès Varda's latest documentary essay takes us on a trip through her incredible career in this skilfully delivered primer - on BFI Player, Mubi and Amazon Prime in May 2023 [Read More...]
The real story of two Spanish women who married with one of them posing as a man almost 120 years ago is a superb piece of filmmaking, excelling both in technical and in dramatic terms - now available on Netflix [Read More...]
Joanna Hogg's semi-autobiographical new film is an incredible doomed love story, an excruciating depiction of toxic romances and drug addiction - now available on VoD; available for free on Mubi for a month from October 25th. [Read More...]
Italian gangster movie set in Naples has flavours of Neorealism and portrays a disturbing type of masculinity negotiated at a very young age - from the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]
British film about Cornish fishermen fending off gentrification isn't just the best film made about Brexit, it's a feat of craftsmanship - now available on Digital [Read More...]
Unauthorised biopic of Dick Cheney, which has received eight Oscar nods, takes an insightful and disturbing look into the life of a deceitful and ruthless politician - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Parable about departure and family allegiances set in a rural village on the Anatolian mountains of Turkey has a stupefying cinematography - live from Berlin [Read More...]
Austrian film reflects the coldness and sterility of corporate life; sadly, the film itself is also airless and bleak - on BFI Player in June (Pride month) [Read More...]
Fatih Skin's serial killer saga is a bizarre tribute to faith and ugliness, and it's absolutely dirtylicious in its unabashed wackiness - live from Berlin [Read More...]
Too cool for school? Jonah Hill's directorial debut about skater boys tries to be fashionable and funny about the titular years; the outcome is only partly effective - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Espionage drama about undercover Mossad agent working in Tehran has enough stamina to keep you hooked for two hours, and it's not a piece of Israeli propaganda - live from Berlin [Read More...]
Think that nothing is original anymore? Peter Parlow's film disagrees, using well worn tropes in order to tell you something new - Live from Berlinale [Read More...]
Meditative Norwegian drama investigates the ephemerality of life and of human relationships, and the necessity of letting go of the past - live from the Berlinale [Read More...]
Child Services are unable to cope with extremely dysfunctional 9-year-old Benni, who refuses to play by the rules - on VoD Friday, March 27th [Read More...]
Francois Ozon's 18th feature film is by far his most politically engaged and incendiary one; it's a very timely call-to-action against paedophilia in the Catholic Church - Silver Bear winner is now on VoD (including Netflix) [Read More...]
Clumsy tale of domestic abuse and homelessness set in New York and produced in Denmark opens the 69th Berlin International Film Festival [Read More...]
Director of The Eyes of My Mother returns with a tribute to giallo bursting with extravagant aesthetics and vivid tunes, while also lacking some substance - on Shudder on June 1st [Read More...]
Cold and soulless: this blend of thriller and dark comedy starring a lethargic Liam Neeson has very little to offer other than the occasional Colorado wintry landscape - in cinemas Friday, March 22nd [Read More...]
Evocative family drama celebrates nostalgia with an unusual storyline and a sumptuous collection of tunes from the past - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Is this the Irish Daniel Blake? Young mum-of-four faces poverty and homelessness in a Dublin that has little time for those caught on the wrong end of the capitalist system - in cinemas Friday, March 8th [Read More...]
An orgasmic Claire Denis crafts a very unorthodox sci-fi about space voyagers who encounter an elusive "Sex Box", featuring Juliette Binoche and Robert Pattinson - now available on VoD! [Read More...]
Simple and uplifting documentary takes an an affecting look at the complexities of end-of-life care in Mexico - in cinemas Friday, February 8th [Read More...]
The story of Rudolf Nureyev's defection to the West becomes a British film directed by Ralph Fiennes, and it examines the ballet dancer's unapologetic "outsiderness" - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Marianne Farley is the only female director to receive an Oscar nod this year, for her short film Marguerite (about an older woman coming to terms with her sexuality); she talks to us about generational themes, representation and more! [Read More...]
Bleak, unoriginal and very violent: how the latest American sci-fi movie produced by James Cameron & co left me mostly numb and cold - on Disney+ on Friday, July 2nd. [Read More...]
Short films often get overshadowed by the glitz and glam of their feature counterparts in the Oscars, but not this year; check out our dirty reviews of each one of the five nominations this year, including a very controversial Irish/British production [Read More...]
Willem Dafoe makes for a perfect Vincent Van Gogh in a new biopic of the artist directed by painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel - in cinemas and Curzon Home Cinema on Friday, March 29th [Read More...]
A trove of national treasures is both in front of and behind the cameras in this imaginative exploration of Shakespeare's final years - on Netflix on Sunday, January 3rd [Read More...]
Richard Billingham mines his own memories of poverty-stricken Black Country life for a striking British debut filled with powerful performances - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Gleeful doc sheds light on the often overlooked “industrial musical”, while also celebrating one man's devotion to comedy and ironic entertainment - live from Rotterdam [Read More...]
Absurdist comedy from Portugal mocks football, celebrity culture, gender identity and more, with a very likeable Cristiano Ronaldo surrogate at the heart of the story - now available on VoD [Read More...]
Clint Eastwood plays nonagenarian horticulturalist-turned-drug-courier to whom women are magnetically attracted, in a poorly acted and directed film infused with vanity - in cinemas Friday, January 25th [Read More...]
Irish filmmaker Vincent Lambe encountered fierce opposition to his film about the James Bulger murder, which has received an Oscar nod. Our Irish writer Eoghan Lyng raises questions about these reactions, arguing that Detainment isn't exploitative and doesn't condone the murders [Read More...]
Biopic of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (yes, yet another film about her) is a fitting tribute to gender equality, if also a little romanticised - in cinemas Friday, February 22d [Read More...]
Irish horror about mother convinced that her son isn't her son anymore recycles old suspense tropes, and is effective enough to keep you hooked for 90 minutes - premieres on Friday, January 25th at Sundance and then out in UK cinemas on Friday, March 1st [Read More...]
