Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong, Ewan Bremner, Sam Spruell, Guy Pearce Certificate: 15 Run Time: 118 mins
The Dog Stars is the new Ridley Scott film, an adaptation of a post-apocalyptic 2012 novel by Peter Heller. Set in 2035, mankind has been almost eradicated by a devastating pandemic. Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a civilian pilot who lives with his dog, Jasper, and former Marine Bangley (Josh Brolin) on an airfield. They take it in turns to keep watch, and Hig regularly flies a small propeller plane with Jasper into a depopulated Denver for supplies. When Hig’s life gets further upended and he picks up on a radio signal from Grand Junction, he decides to leave the airfield and discover if that might be a better place to live.
Sadly, The Dog Stars has received a very muted reception, with many finding the film underpowered and derivative. That’s a shame because I found Ridley Scott’s latest to be a riveting and contemplative piece with some terrific performances and exciting set-pieces. It’s no surprise that the world building is first-rate, given Scott’s back catalogue – underneath the rural and lush landscapes lies a simmering threat that people’s lives are expendable. There’s some stunning aerial photography by Erik Messerschmidt and Scott directs the rare outbursts of violence with real flair – three characters trying to escape a field by plane is particularly tense, as is an action sequence set at an airport.
The performances are uniformly excellent – Elordi downplays the quiet Hig as someone who doesn’t know what to do with his life, while Brolin’s clearly having fun as the toughened Bangley. Margaret Qualley is brilliant as Cima, a young medic Hig encounters, as is Guy Pearce as her untrusting father, who may well be the highlight of the quartet. Although in smaller roles, there’s also fun turns from Allison Janney and Benedict Wong, and the largely acoustic guitar-based score from Harry Gregson-Williams compliments the film’s introspective tone.
The Dog Stars may not break new ground, but I really admired its reflective, yet downbeat tone and its willingness to take things at a gentle pace, with the script refreshingly prioritising developing its well-rounded characters, who bond over their shared losses. Although it’s a dystopian sci-fi, The Dog Stars is more akin to a futuristic Western. I had a great time with it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it were to be critically re-evaluated as time passes – this is an excellent late Ridley Scott effort and I’m looking forward to rewatching it.
Insidious: Out of the Further is currently playing in cinemas and the series has come a long way since the 2011 original, which earned a very healthy $100 million on a modest $1.5 million budget. Insidious was the third horror collaboration between director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell, whose then-back catalogue included Saw and Dead Silence.
Insidious followed the Lambert family who battle a paranormal presence when the oldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) falls into a coma. Chapter 2 was a direct sequel to the original, whereas both Chapter 3 and Insidious: The Last Key were prequels that primarily focussed on psychic paranormal investigator Elise Rainier (Lin Shaye) in favour of the Lambert’s. The fifth instalment, Insidious: The Red Door, picked up nine years later after the events of Chapter 2, providing audiences closure on the Lambert family. While The Red Door was described as the final Insidious film at the time, nothing is ever ‘final’ in the horror world, and Insidious: Out of the Further takes the series in a new direction.
With the exception of Insidious: Chapter 3 and the newest instalment, the rest of the sequels have generated a mixed-to-negative critical reception, although they’ve been better received by audiences.
It’s impressive that even after six films, there hasn’t been one outright disaster. Most horror series tend to decline in quality far quicker, although there are certainly three films in the series of significantly greater quality than the others. Here’s my ranking of the series.
6) Insidious: The Last Key
The weakest entry in the series by some distance, The Last Key is set between Chapter 3 and the original. Adam Robitel is in the director’s chair and does an admirable job but doesn’t have the skill in crafting tension like Wan and Whannell can. The film begins with a powerful extended sequence which introduces and explores Elise’s difficult childhood and dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, the rest of the film never lives up to the strong opening and its mechanical jump scares are dismally second-rate. On the plus side, Lin Shaye makes for a reliable lead and there’s some good performances from Tessa Ferrer and Josh Stewart as her parents, as well as Bruce Davison as her younger brother.
Insidious: The Red Door returns to the Lambert family and is the directorial debut of actor Patrick Wilson. The film opens on the funeral of Lorraine Lambert (Barbara Hershey) and we learn that Josh (Patrick Wilson) and Renai (Rose Byrne) are now divorced. It’s time for Dalton (Ty Simpkins) to head to college and Josh decides to take him to try and heal their strained relationship, only for their supernatural past to rear its ugly head once again. Wilson’s directorial debut is a mixed bag – it’s quite different from its predecessors in that it’s a drama film at its core rather than a horror. He crafts a gripping family dynamic and takes his time with the characters, the first two acts a slow burn that deftly explore the theme of generational trauma. Once again, there’s some excellent performances, particularly from Simpkins, Wilson and newcomer Sinclair Daniel. Unfortunately, the film falls short in its sudden rush to the finish and the film falling short as a horror. This is by far, the least scariest film in the series and it also frustratingly seems to undermine the previous film’s logic as to how The Further operates. While Insidious: The Red Door has more than its fair share of problems, there’s still plenty to admire here and I’m glad Wilson took a risk.
It’s very tough to separate The Red Door and Out of the Further because they impress in certain ways and fail in others, but I think this latest instalment is a hair better than The Red Door. This sixth entry is set after The Red Door and follows a young dental hygienist called Gemma (Amelia Eve), who witnessed her mother’s suicide as a child. Now that she has a daughter of her own, Maya (Island Austin), Gemma starts to get haunted by malevolent spirits once they see three strange-looking elderly people while walking to school. Although it’s not on the level of the first three films, Insidious: Out of the Further is another entertaining instalment that expands the series in an interesting way. With the exception of the worryingly poor opening, it’s well directed by series newcomer Jacob Chase (who also writes the film), who crafts some decent scares and manages to sustain tension. While lots of the jump scares are familiar, Chase knows how to draw them out to keep audiences tense – a scene set in a dentist is particularly effective, and he crafts a particularly well-drawn villain.
Insidious: Chapter 2 received mixed reviews on its release and granted, it does lose some of its originality that the first film had but there are still some top rate scares here and a very interesting storyline, which returning director James Wan prioritises over the horror. Picking up immediately after the original, Chapter 2 successfully expands the mythology and framework of The Further which the series would then go onto develop even more. Patrick Wilson turns in an entertaining performance as the possessed Josh, riffing on Jack Nicholson’s Danny Torrance in The Shining.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
2) Insidious: Chapter 3
An underrated sequel, Insidious: Chapter 3 represents then-writer Leigh Whannell’s directorial debut, who would then go onto make Upgrade and The Invisible Man. Whannell decides to opt down the prequel route and focus on a new family, the Brenner’s. Quinn (Stefanie Scott) is grieving the death of her mother and despite a warning from Elise to exercise caution, is stalked by a dark spirit wearing an oxygen mask, known as The Man Who Can’t Breathe. It’s an assured effort from Whannell, who crafts some memorable scares and oddly empathetic villain who, in my opinion, is the most effective of the series. It’s also got surprising thematic depth with its emotive exploration of death and familial loss.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
1) Insidious
The film that started it all is the best and although Insidious seems to begin as a somewhat conventional supernatural horror (albeit with quality jump scares), James Wan deftly takes his time before unearthing the supernatural elements in the second and third acts, while packing in some intelligent twists and turns. It’s a thrilling horror that flips the haunted house horror convention on its head by revolving the haunting around a person. The Lambert family are well-developed and are smart characters, unafraid to leave the house or turn a light on. Wan’s variation of jump scares is particularly impressive, especially his ability to unleash horror on the family in broad daylight, something the majority of horrors are guilty of avoiding.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or tweet @TheFilmMeister
Director: Jane Schoenbrun Starring: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Jack Haven, Patrick Fischler Certificate: 15 Run Time: 112 mins
Teenage Sex And Death At Camp Miasma is the new film by Jane Schoenbrun, most notable for directing I Saw The TV Glow which I passionately detested. Although that film was dripping in style, it was saddled with a trite script, unlikeable characters and a dull and aimless narrative. Although Schoenbrun’s latest looks to emulate that film’s beautiful visuals, this time they’re exploring the slasher genre.
Camp Miasma is a fictional long-running slasher franchise, with Little Death (and that name is very important!) its central villain who uses a spear to slaughter his victims. Like many horror franchises, after the first one turned out to be a hit, the filmmakers made a load of sequels that degraded in quality and profitability. Queer filmmaker Kris Williams (Hannah Einbinder) is hired to direct a reboot, and it’s the classic case of the studio wanting one type of film, whereas she has other ideas from her genuine attachment to the series as she’s grown up. She’s interested in casting Billy Presley (Gillian Anderson), the final girl of the original, and Schoenbrun’s film opens as Kris travels to the campground Billy lives on to talk her ideas through.
The first third of Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma is excellent – I really liked the attention to detail Schoenbrun takes with crafting all the minutiae of the fictional series, and the film’s very cineliterate in how it examines the studio system and how directors approach their art. Hannah Einbinder makes for an excellent lead, really conveying her love for the series with her overly academic interpretations that won’t appeal to a mainstream audience – this is the kind of role that cements Einbinder as a future star. Gillian Anderson’s also great (when isn’t she?) and is clearly having fun as the past-her-prime actress, and the two share a palpable chemistry. There’s an interesting score by Alex G, with some memorable acoustic guitar-based themes but some of the song choices didn’t work for me. And of course, it’s beautifully shot by Eric Yue, with the film looking like it’s straight out of the 1980s.
Unfortunately, the film really ties itself in knots after about 45 minutes and chooses to divert away from being an astute examination of the film industry and the codes and conventions of the slasher genre into an exploration of sexuality. While not without its occasional bright spots, the rest of the film is rather languorous and I just didn’t care for the characters or see its purpose. Schoenbrun’s clearly made a film that feels personal, but I felt like an outsider to what they’re trying to explore in a way that becomes garbled. The film’s also completely devoid of tension or stakes and the attempts at humour never landed with me (although it did with quite a lot of the audience in my screening).
While undoubtedly better than I Saw The TV Glow (although that’s not a high bar!), Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma begins as a sharp deconstruction of the slasher genre, ultimately to become disinterested in that and explore sexuality instead. It’s certainly visually arresting with two top-notch performances at its core, but as soon as the film decides to switch its focus, I quickly became disinterested.
Director: Jacob Chase Starring: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye, Sam Spruell, Island Austin Certificate: 15 Run Time: 107 mins
Insidious: Out of the Further is the sixth instalment in the long-standing horror series that’s been surprisingly consistent in terms of quality – there’s yet to be a bad entry. With Insidious: The Red Door thought to be the series finale, given how it provided closure on the Lambert family, nothing’s ever really ‘final’ in the film industry when you have a profitable property. This sixth entry is set after The Red Door and follows a young dental hygienist called Gemma (Amelia Eve), who witnessed her mother’s suicide as a child. Now that she has a daughter of her own, Maya (Island Austin), Gemma starts to get haunted by malevolent spirits once they see three strange-looking elderly people while walking to school.
Although it’s not on the level of the first three films, Insidious: Out of the Further is another entertaining instalment that expands the series in an interesting way. With the exception of the worryingly poor opening, it’s well directed by series newcomer Jacob Chase (who also writes the film), who crafts some decent scares and manages to sustain tension. While lots of the jump scares are familiar, Chase knows how to draw them out to keep audiences tense – a scene set in a dentist is particularly effective, and he crafts a particularly well-drawn villain. That said, he’s no James Wan or Leigh Whannell when it comes to scares and atmosphere, and while many have pointed to a sequence set in a pillow fort as the film’s strongest scare, it came across as quite silly to me, especially coming so quickly after Backrooms.
Amelia Eve is solid, if unremarkable as Gemma, although she shares a good chemistry with her daughter, Maya, with the young Island Austin turning in an excellent performance. Although Lin Shaye is mainly saddled with exposition, it’s still great to see her return as Elise. Sam Spruell is a highlight in an unexpected role and Joshua Lopez is brilliant as Lester, the chief of the three elderly people, who turn out to be acolytes of the villain. The score by series regular Joseph Bishara is solid, with one particularly memorable new synth-based theme.
While it’s far from groundbreaking, Insidious: Out of the Further is ultimately a fun outing and far better than a sixth instalment in a long-standing franchise has any right to be. It takes the series in an interesting new direction, should further sequels be commissioned (which I’m sure will be), and it’s certainly a stronger film than Insidious: The Last Keyand probably on a par with The Red Door – that film is stronger in the writing department before it fumbles the third act, whereas this is more consistent throughout.
Director: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, Christian Convery Certificate: 12A Run Time: 99 mins
The End of Oak Street is the first film to be directed by David Robert Mitchell in almost a decade, after (the highly underrated) Under The Silver Lake, his follow-up to It Follows, landed him in director’s jail. Teaming up with J. J. Abrams’s Bad Robot production company, The End of Oak Street follows a family in 1982 whose suburban neighbourhood is transported back to prehistoric times. Anne Hathaway plays the matriarch, Denise Platt, who’s an aspiring novelist, while Ewan McGregor is her husband, who’s recently been laid off from his job and is working as a pizza delivery driver. Maisy Stella plays Audrey, the older teenage daughter, and The Monkey‘s Christian Convery stars as the younger son, Brian.
Much like his previous work, The End of Oak Street sees the director embrace classic older genre tropes, leaning into 1980s creature features and the nuclear family. It often has a warm Steven Spielberg-like tone, although it’s a little darker and stranger at times, especially a scene with two dinosaurs having sex.
Unfortunately, it’s David Robert Mitchell’s weakest film by a long shot. The script is oddly poor with shonky dialogue between the family, and while there’s a couple of interesting subtle moments, the film resorts to long bouts of exposition too. It also doesn’t manage to land the correct tone, feeling overly warm and that, plus the combination of a 12A rating, waters the film down and means it’s completely devoid of tension.
The film’s first half is all over the place, and although it takes less than 25 minutes for the dinosaurs to appear, its opening feels like it takes an age. Some of the set pieces feel episodic, although there are two excellent sequences in the second half, which is much stronger than the first – especially a nightmarish scene with a snake-like creature that finds its way into the house.
Mitchell reunites with his regular cinematographer, Mike Gioulakis, and while the action is crisply shot, Gioulakis oddly embraces the split diopter shot (which plagued Lee Cronin’s The Mummy earlier this year) in a terrible family conversation scene in the middle of the film. There’s also a honking Michael Giacchino score that apes John Williams, but isn’t particularly memorable and is too upbeat for the devastation unfurling on screen.
It’s a shame The End of Oak Street isn’t the return to form David Robert Mitchell deserves. Although he’s working with a thrilling concept, the film is messily constructed and doesn’t land the right tone. I never felt any jeopardy or peril, and the oddly wooden script hurts the film because I couldn’t connect to its characters. It’s not a bad film though – there’s a couple of excellent sequences in the second half. But it’s not consistently engaging, and that’s a red flag for what should be a thrilling creature feature.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Starring: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Florence Pugh, Tramell Tilman, Marisa Tomei, Mark Ruffalo Certificate: 12A Run Time: 145 mins
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic UniverseSpider-Man series with Tom Holland as the web-slinger. Destin Daniel Cretton steps into the director’s chair, replacing Jon Watts who helmed the first three – Cretton’s no stranger to Marvel, having made the excellent Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and he was originally attached to direct the fifth Avengers film (then titled Avengers: Kang Dynasty), before Marvel rethought their strategy after the controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors, who was cast as the villain.
The film sees Tom Holland’s Peter Parker adapting to a world where people have forgotten he exists, after Doctor Strange cast his spell at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home. He pines after former girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya) but chooses not to reintroduce himself to her and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) to keep them from harm. He keeps himself busy by defeating criminals on the New York streets, but soon faces a telepathic threat that tests him to his limit.
While Destin Daniel Cretton’s direction and the pivot to a more mature character-driven story are commendable, Spider-Man: Brand New Day doesn’t really reinvent the wheel and suffers badly from superhero fatigue. If it were released ten years ago, it’d be a pretty reasonable effort, but the fact it follows familiar beats without any real tension or threat lowers the stakes and entertainment value. It’s also drastically overlong at 145 minutes, and really could have done with having a half-an-hour chop for a tighter film.
Still, there’s some bright spots. This is probably Holland’s best performance as the superhero yet, a character transitioning from youth to adulthood who’s trying to find his place and the balance of being a superhero while not burning out. The best moments in the film are the most unassuming, for example where he’s connecting with MJ and Ned while they build Lego together. Sadie Sink is also very promising as a character I won’t spoil, and it’s nice to see Mark Ruffalo back as Bruce Banner / Hulk, after what’s been a five-year hiatus.
Although not as strong as his other work, this is also Michael Giacchino’s best score in the series, although it’s still lacking a memorable central theme to latch onto. The action’s also crisply shot, although I don’t think any of the set pieces are on a par with the train sequence in Spider-Man 2 or the final act in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
While by no means bad, Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t the web slinger’s strongest outing. In this series alone, Spider-Man: Homecoming and No Way Home stand head-and-shoulders above this, but it’s not the disaster that Spider-Man: Far From Home was. Destin Daniel Cretton tries to breathe a new lease with his more thoughtful direction and while there’s some nice teases for future outings, Spider-Man: Brand New Day suffers badly from superhero fatigue and from being plain overlong.
Evil Dead Burn is the sixth instalment in the supernatural horror franchise about an ancient Sumerian text that unleashes havoc on its prey, serving as a follow-up to 2023’s Evil Dead Rise. It’s one of few horror series where all the entries have been of decent quality, although contrary to its excellent reception, I thought Evil Dead Rise was terrible. I didn’t connect with any of the loathsome characters and director Lee Cronin made the crucial error in not understanding the franchise logic, as well as failing to make use of the film’s urban setting and turning in a very shonky script. Fortunately, Cronin’s out and Infested director Sébastien Vaniček is in, who co-writes the script with Florent Bernard.
Souhelia Yacoub plays Alice Price, a young woman in an abusive marriage to Will (George Pullar) who gets bumped off after crashing car into a Deadite-possessed Jessica from Evil Dead Rise. The film then jumps forward to Will’s funeral, where his entire family and Alice attend. After a possessed Will escapes his coffin and attacks his father, Edgar (Erroll Shand), the family return to back to their lakehouse home where all kinds of mayhem ensues.
Although not without its flaws, Evil Dead Burn is a wickedly entertaining sequel that’s undoubtedly the series’ most vicious to date. It’s superbly directed by Vaniček, who demonstrates a real flair for horror – he’s going to be in hot demand after this. There are multiple standout sequences here, including the aforementioned funeral, as well as a continuous tracking shot of a character while carnage unfolds in the distance, plus many memorable shots by cinematographer Phillip Lozano. Vaniček and Lozano have clearly taken meticulous care with how the action is staged, and it really shows. The score by French composers Double Danger is also excellent, ramping in intensity with memorable themes.
It’s all well and good having gonzo horror sequences, but you need to have strongly written characters to back them up – an aspect where Evil Dead Rise miserably failed. This sequel does a very reasonable job with its central family, where there are clear personalities clashing with one another. Souhelia Yacoub is excellent as the sympathetic Alice, who feels like an outsider to the family she married into. Hunter Doohan is another highlight as the initially meek Joseph, Will’s brother, who finds courage as the film progresses. Maude Davey’s grandmother, Polly, gets lots of the comedic line and Erroll Shand is suitably nasty as Edgar, Will and Joseph’s father with a mean streak.
But Evil Dead Burn is not without its flaws. Firstly, its opening scene is rather perplexing in that it goes against franchise logic, but fortunately it’s not really relevant to the rest of the film once Alice and Will are introduced. I also didn’t need the inevitable final showdown sequence, which while fun, felt unnecessary and there’s a perfect moment of a house burning and a character standing outside that would have been the ideal moment to end.
Otherwise, Evil Dead Burn is a grin-inducing and blood-soaked surprise that really cements Vaniček as a key voice in horror. He does something very interesting with the franchise, combining modern horror with French extremism while keeping the story focussed with a well-developed family filled with sympathetic and deliciously despicable characters. The film also explores family rather adeptly as a theme and how trauma runs through it, and I loved the oppressive and persistent dread-induced tone of the film, balanced with comedic moments that never cheapen the action. It’s not perfect, but I always admire when a director takes a risk and Vaniček has ultimately turned in one of the best entries in the series.
Director: Craig Gillespie Starring: Milly Alcock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet, Jason Momoa Certificate: 12A Run Time: 108 mins
Supergirl is the second instalment in the DC Universe, a new cinematic universe fronted by James Gunn and Peter Safran that kicked off last year with Superman. While there was plenty to like about Superman, I found it very ramshackle in its construction and the film suffered from a bloated third act end-of-the-world climax. Australian Milly Alcock stars in the title role, who we see struggling to fit in and in an alcohol-induced stupor as the film opens. When her pet dog Krypton, is harmed by the villainous Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts), Supergirl embarks on a quest to pursue him to retrieve an antidote, alongside Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who’s also after Krem for vengeance after he killed all of her family. The film’s directed by Craig Gillespie, best known for I, Tonya and Cruella, both films about misfits which he imbues a sense of style into.
Sadly, there’s not much of Gillespie’s touch to be found in Supergirl, which feels more like a James Gunn-lite film. While mostly competent and coherent, this is a tired-feeling film that’s swimming in CGI and isn’t memorable in the slightest. The MacGuffin plot is uninspired and the relatively brisk 108 minutes felt like a slog as characters goes through the motions – there isn’t a surprise in sight. While there’s a handful of bright moments in the action sequences, they’re overly reliant on CGI and I never felt a sense of jeopardy for any of the characters.
Milly Alcock is merely fine as Supergirl – her performance doesn’t give a lasting impression, but I’m sure the character will fit in well in future films in the series. Matthias Schoenaerts clearly puts in an effort as the villainous Krem, and while he occasionally has menace, his baddie is underdeveloped and lazily written in the third act where he regularly resorts to a depressingly bad laugh that’s not reflective of Schoenaerts’s talent. The rest of the cast barely register, although Jason Momoa’s having fun as Lobo even if I wouldn’t call the performance good, after playing Aquaman in the previous DC Extended Universe.
While the main theme of Claudia Sarne’s score is excellent, it’s depressing that the film regularly resorts to pop numbers in the middle of what are supposed to be serious action sequences, and it really detracts from the experience. You’d be hard-pressed to tell Rob Hardy is the cinematographer behind the lens – there isn’t a single memorable shot.
While it’s not a disaster, Supergirl is a disappointing second film in this burgeoning cinematic universe. It’s got a corporate tone, none of the jokes land and it’s visually ugly. But perhaps Supergirl‘s biggest crime is how totally forgettable it is – I thought comic-book films were beyond this now.
Director: Andrew Stanton Starring: (voices of) Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Conan O’Brien, Scarlett Spears, Greta Lee, Shelby Rabara, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Craig Robinson Certificate: PG Run Time: 102 mins
Toy Story 5 is the latest in the beloved animated Disney Pixar series, and it would be fair it arrives with palpable trepidation. The first three films formed the perfect trilogy, and while the general consensus is that Toy Story 4 did nothing to tarnish it, it’s not quite as strong as its predecessors. It certainly takes some balls to return for a fifth time. Fortunately, Pixar stalwart Andrew Stanton is in the director’s chair, having helmed Finding Nemo, Finding Dory and WALL-E.
This time round, Jessie (Joan Cusack), Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) and the toys continue to live with now eight-year-old Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), who is struggling to make friends. We see that all of her local neighbourhood are glued to a frog-themed tablet called Lilypad – and her parents think the solution is to buy her one. Bonnie quickly becomes addicted and the toys attempt to step in to not only save Bonnie, but to prevent them from being abandoned.
Even if Toy Story 5 isn’t quite on a par with the original trilogy, this latest entry does nothing to tarnish the series’ legacy. This is a very entertaining film with a sweet-natured energy to it, even if its construction is a little messy and the characters don’t always act naturally. We are introduced to three different storylines (this main story, a secondary storyline involving Woody (Tom Hanks) and another with a cargo ship of Buzz Lightyear toys that crash-land on a deserted island. The storylines eventually coalesce, but the slightly sprawling nature of the narrative means you miss out on the lightning-in-a-bottle sharp storytelling of the previous films.
Stanton explores some interesting themes though, chiefly the overreliance on technology. I liked that the film doesn’t take a solely negative stance on it, with Stanton exploring how it can be of benefit too. But it never quite reaches the thematic heights of the original trilogy though, nor the existential moments involving Forky (Tony Hale) in Toy Story 4 on how he comes to accept himself as a toy, and not trash, given he’s a plastic spork that Bonnie literally assembled.
There’s some great moments among the toys though, with a thoughtful script by Stanton and Kenna Harris (who also co-directs the film). Choosing Jessie as the film’s main focus is a masterstroke, who’s always been an important but secondary character in previous films, and it really gives the film a fresh angle. While Buzz gets some comedic moments, his love for Jessie feels rather out-of-character, especially since it’s never something he’s expressed in previous outings. And while it’s good to see Woody back, he doesn’t develop much as a character this time round.
In terms of the new additions, Lilypad (Greta Lee) makes for a decent villain, although she’s rather underdeveloped. It’s Conan O’Brien who steals the show though as Smarty Pants, a toilet training toy, and Blaze (Mykal-Michelle Harris) is another charming character who marks a real contrast to Bonnie.
Toy Story 5 is ultimately another worthy entry in the series and on an initial watch, I think it’s on a par with Toy Story 4. They both score points in different areas – Toy Story 4 is more profound, but doesn’t feel as fresh as the original trilogy in that it recycles some of its plot points, while this isn’t as tightly focussed a film and the final act isn’t as affecting as previous entries, but it explores some very interesting themes.
Unlike Toy Story 4 which felt like an appendage to the original trilogy, Toy Story 5 doesn’t and feels like it could be the start of a new storyline. While there’s yet to be an underpar entry in the series, I’d be trepidatious if Toy Story were to continue – the original trilogy was perfect, and while Toy Story 4 and 5 don’t tarnish it, it seems like a wise choice to stop.
Director: Steven Spielberg Starring: Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, Colman Domingo Certificate: 12A Run Time: 145 mins
Disclosure Day is an original sci-fi thriller from Steven Spielberg, which sees the director revisiting the themes of exploring life beyond earth, with films such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind and War of the Worlds. David Koepp is on scriptwriting duties, who has previously collaborated with Spielberg on Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, but he’s equally the name behind some real rubbish, such as Angels and Demons, Inferno and The Mummy (2017).
Josh O’Connor plays Daniel, a cybersecurity expert who goes on the run after stealing classified files and alien tech from Wardex, a shady government corporation headed by Noah Scanlon (Colin Firth). Emily Blunt plays Margaret Fairchild, a television meteorologist who suddenly gets psychic abilities after encountering a cardinal, and after much chasing, Margaret and Daniel eventually cross paths.
While there’s lots to like, Disclosure Day is a mixed bag. Much in the manner of his previous film The Fabelmans, Disclosure Day‘s tone feels rather personal, occasionally bordering on profound. There’s some thrilling action sequences too, especially a car chase that climaxes on a train and a shot of government officials storming an unassuming building is straight out of Indiana Jones. John Williams also turns in one of his best scores in recent memory, with a thrillingly restrained yet melodic soundtrack that compliments the themes nicely. And while Spielberg’s regular collaborator Janusz Kamiński’s cinematography is typically bursting with colour, his work here feels uncharacteristically dark and gloomy, also lending to the film’s restrained feel.
It’s a shame David Koepp’s script is so clunky. While it’s admirable how Spielberg and Koepp drop you straight into the story, the way in which a character’s backstory or motivations are sandwiched into conversations feels unnatural. The film also never fully commits to any of the themes it explores – it has the beginnings of something interesting to say on religion and mankind’s overreliance on technology, but no more. The film’s also too long at 145 mins – I much preferred the first half, which plays more like a conspiracy thriller, but then began to feel the length in the prolonged third act.
None of the performances shine either, likely because they are all underwritten. While Emily Blunt does the best with what she has, she feels miscast as the fish-out-of-water meteorologist who can suddenly speak in alien tongues – I found the character exhausting rather than fun. Someone else who’s miscast is Colin Firth as the Indiana Jones-like villain, who spends most of the film sitting on chairs. Fortunately, Josh O’Connor is more convincing as the cybersecurity expert, and I liked the beginnings of the film’s exploration into his relationship with his girlfriend and former religious novice Jane (Eve Hewson), even if that’s also underdeveloped.
Disclosure Day ultimately wears the same problem as a number of Spielberg’s other more recent efforts – it’s enjoyable, but never quite soars, and the film would have benefitted from tighter pacing. It’s a shame that in this case, the main culprit is David Koepp’s script, which while serviceable, never fully explores its heady themes and is quite clunky in its construction. While I thought Disclosure Day would be a one-time watch when I left the cinema, some of its moments that border on profundity have stayed with me. I admire Disclosure Day for its ambition, but it’s a shame it’s not quite the slamdunk a film with such a talented and experienced director should be.
The Film Meister 