Director: Martin McDonagh

In 1973, CIA agents Chris (John Malkovich) and Lee (Sam Rockwell) are based in Chile, but it will be Chris’s last posting. He’s ageing, ill and troublesome to his bosses, oversharing with anyone who will listen and recording a memoir full of detail about his time in the CIA, including his whereabouts in Dallas in November 1963. Lee decides to take him to Easter Island to see “the big heads” before it’s too late. But here Chris questions his life, choices and work, and befriends a young student, Monica (Mariana di Girolamo), to impart his wisdom and warn her of what’s ahead for her country. Meanwhile, Lee deals with his station boss (Steve Buscemi), a strained relationship with his wife (Parker Posey), and trying to keep Chris out of trouble!

Martin McDonagh knows how to make a film, with a knack for touching, thoughtful, funny pieces with something to say, and Wild Horse Nine is no exception, delivering all you would expect alongside terrific central performances.

This is less a film about the CIA, although it is about the CIA!, and more about someone looking back on a life lived, not necessarily with regret, but with questions about what they have done and the impact it has had. But don’t be fooled: while it has a melancholic edge, it is also great fun. The script zings along, full of laughs amongst its more reflective moments, and its weaving in of the CIA’s less than wholesome activities is perfectly judged.

In Malkovich and Rockwell you have a wonderful odd couple, and as good as Malkovich is, it only works thanks to Rockwell’s expertly measured performance. Steve Buscemi, Parker Posey and Mariana di Girolamo provide great support, each pitch perfect.
It looks fabulous too, with Easter Island a strong supporting character and the time and place superbly caught.

Wild Horse Nine is a wonderful, heart-filled, soulful comedy about a life lived, for better or worse, but also about hope: the hope of giving someone a chance and using one’s last days to give someone else a future. Let wild horses drag you along to see it.

Director: Takashi Yamazaki

Japanese Language with English Subtitles

Two years after Godzilla’s rampage across a still war-torn Japan, it is 1949 and a new threat emerges: King Ghidorah, whose initial attacks are captured by Hiroshima survivor Kanji Murakami (Min Tanaka) and his assistant (Kou Maehara). With the support of the US military, Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) and his team, including young meteorologist Makoto Aoyama (Masami Nagasawa), devise a new plan: lure Godzilla, still held in Sagami Bay, into Ghidorah’s path to force a battle to the death, with the humans finishing off the survivor. This requires the help of survivors of the first Godzilla attack, Kōichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) and his wife Noriko (Minami Hamabe). But this will be more than a monster fight; it will be a fight with history, vengeance and the future.

Maybe not quite as good as Godzilla Minus One, but this still brilliantly captures the joy of the Japanese telling of these stories, from its homage to the original monster pictures to the feel of those 1950s serials in the way it chooses and shoots its scenes. It also reflects a country and people still coming to terms with the Second World War, what happened to them as a nation and what they did to themselves and others.

The monster battles are exhilarating, bringing weight and presence to the CGI creations. The allegories are plentiful as it explores the motives of those involved, with some dark and shocking reflections on the impact of the war, especially the atomic bomb over Hiroshima.

The performances are good. While the script, or at least the translation of it, is a little on the nose at times, the cast delivers plenty of heart and depth to keep you emotionally engaged throughout, especially in its heaviest moments. A great score supports it all.

Enjoyable and thoughtful Godzilla-sized storytelling.

Director: Lance Oppenheim

Based on a 2007 Esquire article, “Tonight on Dateline This Man Will Die”, Primetime tells the story of the rise of the US show “To Catch a Predator”, which targeted men who groom children online and arrange to meet them, and its host Chris Hansen (Robert Pattinson), and of its fall after the death of one of its targets.

It’s inspired by true events rather than a factual retelling, and shot like a fever dream rather than in a linear, structured, dramatised-documentary style., which for me lead to a mixed experience.

On the plus side, the performances are strong. Robert Pattinson again shows his versatility, this time bringing to the screen the charisma and presence of a TV host on a mission. Skyler Gisondo’s Dan Plum, as one of the show’s decoys, gives us the bait’s-eye view, and he and Pattinson are at the centre of much of it. Performances are good across the board, including Merritt Wever, Matthew Maher and Alex Winter, all believable and engrossing, even if the characters aren’t particularly likeable.

What worked less well for me was the storytelling approach. Its fever-dream quality made it hard to follow the story, or even work out which story it was trying to tell. I don’t know if it plays better in the US to an audience more familiar with the source material, but I left unsure of the point of what I’d watched and whether it mattered.

Those reservations notwithstanding, it was still an interesting if rather confusing piece of filmmaking.

Directors: Alex Huston Fischer
& Eleanor Wilson

The Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) has made her own way in the world, single and making her living catching and selling fish. But in a village where women “know their place” and marriage is the goal, she is an outsider. Happy with her choices but worn down by judgement, she asks the Basket Weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. Her Wicker husband (Alexander Skarsgård) causes quite the stir, with his attentiveness and desire to make her happy. But jealousy among the villagers grows, and some would like to see her happiness broken. Will the couple inspire the village to be better, or will the villagers ruin what they have?

Based on an Ursula Wills-Jones fable, Wicker is an odd little film. It feels very Yorgos Lanthimos, with its quirky characters, bold score and beautifully shot settings. It’s also a film with sadness, comedy and a sweet, light touch.

As with any fable, it has a point, and this one has several: love and marriage, attitudes to women, jealousy, trust and appreciating what you have.

The core performers are great, with Olivia Colman, Peter Dinklage and Alexander Skarsgård. Colman brings humour and heart like nobody else and is always flawless. Dinklage has fun with his wise and magical Basket Weaver, while Skarsgård delivers plenty of heart through his fabulous wicker costume. They are well supported by Elizabeth Debicki’s Tailor’s Wife, a gossip and ringleader who shows the village at its best and worst. It’s a big cast, with a line of British stars including Ella Bruccoleri, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan and Phil Daniels, and a cameo from Richard E. Grant.

Even so, it was just okay. There’s nothing wrong with it and nothing I disliked, but it didn’t engage me the way I wanted, and I never felt fully swept along. There’s a lot to enjoy, though, and I don’t think it will get on anyone’s wick!

Director: James Watkins

Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries) is a rapidly rising movie star on the verge of greatness. Out celebrating a first Oscar nomination with his friend Corey (Joshua James), he catches the eye of the wrong woman: Mia (Joana Ribeiro), girlfriend of mobster Szabo (David Dencik). When Szabo and his switchblade find out, Matt’s world is destroyed. Alone, destitute and desperate, he turns to scientist Caitlyn Corr (Naomi Ackie), whose technology could give him back everything he has lost. But it has unexpected side effects, and Matt gets more than he bargained for: the chance to avenge those who destroyed him, at the risk of losing who he is and what’s left of his life.

Clayface is not your usual superhero story. More a Joker-inspired dark origin story, owing far more to body horror, with The Substance springing to mind more readily than any Batman outing. It’s dark, violent and gory, and not one for the squeamish. That approach is brave, but for me it wasn’t wholly successful. However, I watched it with my son, who is far more invested in the character than me, and he found it an entertaining and fascinating telling of Clayface’s story.

Reservations aside, it is a solid outing, with a grungy, visceral feel. Gotham is as dark and wet as ever, and it is a film with a creative spark for grisly deaths!

Rhys Harries is at the heart of much of the film, bringing intensity and believability to the role as he struggles with his demons. Naomi Ackie is strong as a scientist desperate to change the world. David Dencik provides menace, there’s the always excellent Eddie Marsan, and a Rob Brydon cameo that feels written for him.

While not long, it feels a little slow and predictable. The modest budget shows at times, though its use of practical effects brings a tactile feel often lost in CGI-heavy superhero films.

For the casual observer, like me, it’s solid if not spectacular, but as my son showed, those invested in the character may get much more from it.

Director: Simon Hynd

It’s been three long months for the Ghosts of Button House since Alison (Charlotte Ritchie) and Mike (Kiell Smith-Bynoe) moved out and the developers moved in to turn the house into a hotel and golf course. But things change. First, a group of kids sneak into the abandoned house to try out their Ouija board, and the Ghosts discover a new way to interact with the living. Then eco-campaigners move onto the land, putting the hotel development at risk. But not all is what it seems, and the Ghosts need help. With their newfound young friends, they set off to find Alison and Mike, tackle the less-than-eco-friendly aims of one of the protesters and the local MP, and save Button House’s future.

There’s always a risk in taking a much-loved TV show and giving it a feature-length cinema outing, but the team behind Ghosts don’t put a foot wrong. They deliver a heartfelt, sweet and funny 97 minutes back in the company of well-loved characters.

There’s lots that big-screen adaptations can get wrong, but here the new characters are well thought out. They give the Ghosts an opportunity to expand their horizons in a way that doesn’t feel forced, and they get a story that works.

The film loses none of the show’s charm, mingling plenty of laugh-out-loud moments with some pathos as the Ghosts get a chance to “sample life” once again, and in some cases do things they never got to do.

All the cast are here: Lolly Adefope, Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. All get their screen time, some more comedic, some more touching. The new additions, especially Sian Clifford and Scott Ellis Watson as Janine and Jack, bring plenty.

It won’t change the world of comedy and isn’t cutting edge, but as a funny, touching and heartwarming big-screen version of a loved TV comedy, it works a treat.

Director: Brian Duffield

When Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams) returns home after the death at sea of his father, Mitt (Josh Brolin), he is confronted by memories of a difficult relationship and childhood, with a father who showed a greater love for the ocean and its whales than for his son. But when Jay decides to try to find his father’s body in the ocean depths, he encounters a whale, an encounter that sparks an insane battle for survival and forces him to come to terms with his relationship with his father.

Based on Daniel Kraus’s novel, Whalefall is a wild ride. It’s part adventure, part horror, part melodramatic mush. On leaving the cinema I wasn’t sure whether it was a load of nonsense or an entertaining thrill ride; the reality is it lies somewhere in between. It’s a thrill ride that suffers from over-sentimentality, but if you can get past that, there is craziness to enjoy.

It’s a story told partly in flashback, as we learn about Jay and Mitt’s relationship, but mostly in the innards of a whale. It’s in those underwater and inner-whale scenes that it’s at its best: a mix of tension, Indiana Jones-style puzzles to overcome, and horror-inflected moments.

The film is largely carried by Austin Abrams, much of it spent alone underwater and in the digestive system of a whale. Josh Brolin is at home as the hard father, teaching his son life lessons that will literally save his life. Other performances are little more than cameos, although John Ortiz is, as always, an enjoyable watch. It is also well shot: the underwater scenes are hugely convincing, although the inside of the whale is surprisingly well lit!

It works less well when it’s over-sentimental, which is often. It’s very on the nose: yes, we get it, your father’s influence is a whale you have to escape, alongside the literal one. And the final act tips into overripe melodrama.

Then there’s the ridiculousness of the entire premise, which includes stealing an ending you have seen before!

But if you can get past the silliness of it all, you can have a whale of a time.

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) loves her job and believes in Facebook’s ability to bring people together. But when she sees some disturbing trends, she becomes concerned by the direction of the platform run by Mark Zuckerberg (Jeremy Strong). Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) is an investigative reporter looking for an insider to follow up on the political impact he is seeing. This brings him and Haugen together, and the more they dig, the more the story comes together. Haugen grows disillusioned by what she sees and ever more determined to see it stopped, leading her on a route that will take her public and place her and Zuckerberg in front of political committees.

This second trip into the world of Facebook for Aaron Sorkin has had mixed reviews, but I thought it was great. I am its target audience. I like Sorkin’s films, and this, with its investigative style, disturbing core premise and the bravery of its “heroine”, is compelling. It lets Sorkin do what he does well: take a complex story and wordy script and keep it engaging and fast-moving, always carrying the audience along.

It has two excellent central performances. Mikey Madison is great as Frances Haugen, thoroughly believable as the seemingly “mousey”, super-intelligent data scientist who stands up to be counted in a way many wouldn’t. Equally believable is Jeremy Allen White, and there’s great chemistry as they trade barbs and quips, but with respect for the work each is doing. Betty Gilpin is excellent as the WSJ’s San Francisco bureau chief. Jeremy Strong has the least to do as a one-dimensional Zuckerberg, although that is probably the point.

Its message is not subtle, although it avoids being preachy, and its disturbing premise is hard-hitting, from the statistical realities to the spread of misinformation and the abuse of the platform’s loose controls by those in power.

This for me was a story with an important message delivered brilliantly. A like from me!

Director: Michael Showalter

Writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson) is published with limited success. But when Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett), husband of author Verity Crawford (Anne Hathaway), asks her to finish Verity’s successful novel series, famed for its focus on the darkest areas of humanity, her life changes. At the family home she finds an author incapable of finishing her work after a car accident, and a family racked with grief. But as Lowen researches Verity’s work, she realises all is not what it seems, complicated by a growing relationship with Jeremy. Will she discover the truth before it’s too late?

Verity is a dark, semi-erotic thriller, similar to 80s/90s favourites like Basic Instinct and more recent fare like The Housemaid. The problem is that throughout its 117 minutes I was constantly reminded of those much better films. I’ve never read Colleen Hoover’s novel, so don’t know if the source material is at fault, but for me Verity is a poor imitation of the genre: formulaic, derivative, hugely predictable and at times quite dull.

It’s a pity, as it starts promisingly, with a strong opening 15 minutes including a great scene as Lowen looks to cross the road. But the setup tells you all you need to know. You’re pretty sure where it’s going from the start; it’s just which options from the buffet of previous thrillers it picks.

The script is predictable and clunky, which hurts the performances. It helps that Anne Hathaway has little dialogue, as she is the best and most believable thing in the film by a mile. But Hartnett and especially Dakota Johnson are hamstrung by the story and script, Johnson struggling to be believable from the moment she enters the house. And I’m not sure why Irina Dvorovenko is there as Verity’s nurse, given almost nothing to do, except an occasional sinister line.

There may have been potential in the book, but the film didn’t work for me. As Pauline Kael once said “it’s fine if you like that kind of thing.” I didn’t but I’m sure others will.

Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu

Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), an oil tycoon drilling for oil in the Arctic, is warned by chief scientist Dr. Ganesh (Riz Ahmed) that the drilling is likely to cause a global catastrophe. But the warning comes too late, as Digger’s drilling causes a huge iceberg to break free and head towards Europe. Hauled up in front of the President (John Goodman), Digger is challenged to fix the mess he’s made and avoid ecological disaster. All does not go well, and from Digger himself to an ailing President, his US hierarchy and European courts, it leads humanity down a road from which they may never return.

Digger has had mixed reviews, which is no surprise. While there are things to like, I’m sure others will find it grating.

It’s a story with a clear message about our continued abuse of our planet by those in power, as well as our refusal to deal with it. But it also feels a bit of a mess, and never fully grabs you. It feels like a mix of Wes Anderson and Yorgos Lanthimos, but never quite takes the best bits of either.

It’s not a film I disliked — while it has flaws, there are enjoyable parts, especially in its second half: from the moment Digger tackles a European court of literal grey suits, the film finds a clearer narrative and a more believable Digger.

Cruise in the lead role is solid and believable enough, but it’s not prime Cruise, as he doesn’t balance the comedic elements with the depth his character needs, especially as the film reveals its twist. It’s Riz Ahmed who steals the show, alongside John Goodman’s bumbling, blustering President (remind you of anyone?). A Jesse Plemons cameo is always welcome, and Michael Stuhlbarg and Sophie Wilde also add strong support, although Sandra Hüller is poorly used.

The film is well shot and moves between its two worlds smoothly and smartly, although whether both add value is less clear.

It’s a film that has flaws. Its message is important, but it’s not quite as clever, funny or absorbing as it needs to be, though it’s better than its harshest critics may suggest.