Underwritten esoterica. 

While the producerial fleet involved with this film is impressive, the quality of writing is poor, and such talented actors are hard pressed to communicate the emotional heart of a nihilistic story that does not sufficiently explore its own parameters and thereby suffers in the contradiction by relying on staid childhood trauma analogies for behaviour.

Far less psychologically engaging and narratively competent than “Annihilation” (dir. Alex Garland, 2018), which is certainly an antecedent. 

Between this and “Obsession” (dir.…

An insipid film which in its nihilism is the apogee of contemporary British cultural production: reification of the past, and a gerontocratic industry teasing on the hits of yesteryear.

While the performances of the principal cast are fine - with Alfie Williams as a standout, given how much of the film’s focus shifts to his character - the paucity of Garland’s script and Boyle’s cack-handed direction do serious disservice to the actors, and the audience: once more, for conventions of…

The debut film of writer-director Dionne Edwards, “Pretty Red Dress” is one of the best British films of the year thus far.

The three leading actors - Natey Jones as “Travis”, Alexandra Burke in her debut film role as “Candice”, and Temilola Olatunbosun as “Kenisha” - share the screen with an ease and intimacy which makes the family scenes some of the best moments in this well written drama. Edwards’ script deftly moves between the subjectivity of each character as…