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Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge (Review)

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⭐⭐ (Poor)

Director: Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg
Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin R. McNally, David Wenham, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 129 mins

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’ (or in many other territories named ‘Dead Men Tell No Tales’) is the fifth installment in the Disney franchise. After poor reception to ‘On Stranger Tides’, I’m surprised this film was even made at all as it wasn’t exactly asked for but it did manage to gross upwards of a billion dollars. I’ve had mixed feelings on this series – I enjoyed the first film and the second film a lot more. I hated ‘At World’s End’ and I thought ‘On Stranger Tides’ was rather insubstantial. I was a lot more hopeful of this film due to the talent involved with Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg, the directors of ‘Kon-Tiki’ being at the forefront of this film. The visual effects have looked spectacular from the trailers and the film also has assembled a pretty strong cast with newcomers Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario and Javier Bardem as the titular villain. This time, Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow needs to search for the Trident of Poseidon whilst being pursued by the undead crew of a ship lead by the titular Captain Salazar. Can this film redeem the last two disappointing entries or is this further proof that this franchise needs to stop?

Unfortunately, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’ is more of the same – it’s a slight improvement over ‘On Stranger Tides’ and a lot better than ‘At World’s End’ but it still feels unnecessay, insubstantial and a cash grab to try and reinvigorate the series. What’s even more disappointing is how little of a director’s stamp there is here by Rønning and Sandberg – the film feels as if it was made by studio executives which is such a shame considering how talented this duo are. Other than for a short while in the middle section, the film completely lacks any energy and it feels far longer than the 129 minute run time than it is. It’s not a terrible film and it does have a couple of redeeming features to it but this is definitely a film to skip if you’ve got a choice this Summer. Of course, the visuals here are excellent but the action sequences don’t really have any flow to them and it’s hard to care for any of the characters.

Leading onto the performances, this is a real sore point for the film other than two exceptions. Gone are the days where Johnny Depp recieved an Oscar nomination for his performance as Jack Sparrow, Sparrow here is just an annoying drunkard who lacks all the charisma of this character in the first films. I understand Depp went through a hard time with his personal life and apparently the directors had to work around Depp’s schedule but frankly, why bother when this is the performance you get? Johnny Depp is generally a wonderful actor and recently put in a wonderful performance in ‘Black Mass‘ but he is unfortunately completely wasted here. Geoffrey Rush also phones it in but he has slightly more of an excuse to. Brenton Thwaites is a safe choice to play Henry Turner, son of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann played by Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in previous films. Bloom and Knightley also return in this film for a small role but they certainly haven’t been missed. Who does fare well is first of all, Javier Bardem as the villain who as usual is endlessly charismatic and menacing. The visuals used for his appearance are stunning and Bardem does his best with the material given. Kaya Scodelario also stands out as Carina Smyth, an astronomer who helps Sparrow and Turner locate the Trident, the MacGuffin of the film and is endlessly more charismatic than Keira Knightley’s or Penelope Cruz’s female characters of the previous films.

The main problem with the film is for a lot of it, it lacks energy or any sense of pace and I was frequently bored by it. This should be a swashbuckling ride with kinetic action sequences. The film is actually the shortest installment by quite a margin but felt a lot longer than it is. There is a short section in the middle which is quite well-paced coupled with fantastic visual effects but this is unfortunately short-lived. Furthermore, there are so many efforts to have some comedic relief which completely fall flat as the film never earns it. The script is woeful – it is all over the place and feels like a ‘Carry On’ film script at times, only a bad one.

The score departs from Hans Zimmer now to Geoff Zannelli who is part of his production group anyway and it is a nice blend between old and new themes but nothing is particularly memorable. Paul Cameron’s cinematography is the best of the series and there are many jawdropping shots, particularly a memorable chase between a boat and an island.

Overall, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge’ is by no means, the worst of the series but it never reaches the heights of the first two films. The script is poor, it lacks energy and the performances mostly are flat. It’s also a shame that the film had the potential to be great with its choice of directors but there is a complete lack of any director’s stamp. What’s worrying is the film leaves prospects of a sequel fully open but we’ll have to see how much money this film makes first. But it is at least a step-up quality-wise from ‘At World’s End’ and ‘On Stranger Tides’.

⭐⭐ (Poor)

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (Review)

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⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, Djimon Hounsou, Aidan Gillen, Jude Law, Eric Bana
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 126 mins

‘King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword’ is the new Guy Ritchie film and is the proposed first film in a six film series. That’s certainly an ambitious end goal for a single film! I have been a big fan of Guy Ritchie in the past, particularly for his ‘Sherlock Holmes’ films which both are pretty much perfect. I wasn’t a fan of ‘The Man From U.N.C.L.E’ and his other films have been hit-and-miss but when Ritchie is on form, he is excellent. ‘King Arthur’ has had quite a turbulent time even making it to a cinema with multiple delays and reshoots. The marketing for this film has also not been impressive in the slightest – in my opinion, the film looks woeful from its trailers. But Guy Ritchie, coupled with a strong cast is what has kept my interest invested and I was hoping that the film would be better than trailers had suggested. Coupled with the poor reviews, things didn’t look too good.

‘King Arthur: The Legend of the Sword’ is surprisingly enjoyable and well-directed and particularly for its first half, extremely entertaining and innovative. However, it does get increasingly conventional in its second half and loses steam in the ending where it feels too much like a computer game. That said, I was never bored by it and admired what Ritchie was trying to do – pretty much a tongue-in-cheek gangster flick in the vein of ‘Snatch’ in Arthurian times. There are many standout sequences in the film and I particularly enjoyed the ‘Sherlock Holmes’ style slow-motion sequences with characters determining how they are going to win a fight. Daniel Pemberton’s score is simply superb and John Mathieson’s cinematography is also impressive.

The performances from the cast all-round are generally sound and it’s easy to see that they’re all having fun being in the film. Charlie Hunnam is great as the titular character and is very tongue-in-cheek and manages to inhabit the quasi-gangster treatment of this iconic character. Djimon Hounsou and Aidan Gillen are also strong here and provide a lot of comic relief and Jude Law, although not given all that much development, clearly looks like he’s having fun. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast aren’t given all that much to do, particularly Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey, who is highly billed in the cast as the Mage who helps Arthur but fails to make a big enough impression.

The story is ok – it’s a fairly linear set out but it’s what Guy Ritchie does with the material which is impressive. As mentioned, I loved the intercutting sequences where Ritchie edits together a couple of different scenes together to bestow a sense of perspective. The film does begin to drag towards its end and becomes increasingly more derivative and conventional but there are still a few sequences peppered throughout that second half that are still great fun.

Daniel Pemberton’s score is outstanding and one of the best of the year so far. It is the glue that holds this film together and it is very innovative and memorable. I have been very critical of him in the past but ‘Steve Jobs‘ was a step in the right direction and this is his career best thus far. Fresh off from ‘Logan’, John Mathieson’s cinematography is also great here and there are a couple of awe-inspiring shots that really looked great on the big screen.

Overall, I can understand why ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ has recieved the reception it has but this wasn’t the experience that I had. I found it to be highly entertaining, creatively directed by Guy Ritchie and everyone seems to be having a fun time doing this role. No, it doesn’t particularly have much substance storywise but this is a big, brash, boisterous behemoth that wears its pride on its sleeve. It’s far better than a lot of the other Summer blockbusters so far and I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s actually good as I was initially very trepidatious of the quality of the film. I’d be very happy to watch five more but I highly doubt that will happen!

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Alien: Covenant (Review)

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⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Carmen Ejogo
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 122 mins

‘Alien: Covenant’ is the hotly anticipated sequel to ‘Prometheus’, a film that seemed to have gone from most anticipated of its respective year to most disappointing overnight. Ridley Scott’s ‘Alien’ prequel proved wildly divisive amongst critics and audiences alike. I found it to be a deeply philosophical and fascinating watch and it contains some great performances from its cast. ‘Alien: Covenant’ has sounded as if it is the perfect sequel since its development from its fascinating concept of the crew being formed of couples and also the continuation of the storyline from ‘Prometheus’. The trailers have also been promising and the cast that Scott has assembled is very strong with new additions featuring the likes of Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride and Demian Bichir to name but a few.

‘Alien: Covenant’ is a mixed bag – at times, it is excellent and successfully builds on the mythology outlined by ‘Prometheus’ but it is equally painfully derivative to the point of almost insulting its predecessors. The film is clearly divided into three sections – its first and last a retread of ‘Alien’ only updated for 2017 but its mid-section is the sequel that I really wanted. That’s not to say there is nothing at all of value in its first and last third but these are where the majority of the problems that I had with the film are based. On the plus side, Scott manages to sustain tension throughout the film and visually, there are some stunning set pieces and cinematography.

The film contains two wonderful performances, one from Michael Fassbender whose enigmatic android, David and updated model, Walter, really get some character development. Fassbender pulls off the dual role sublimely and his character is one of the very best parts of the film – to go any further into detail would be to go into spoiler territory. The other standout is Danny McBride who, in a more serious role compared to the rest of his back catalogue, does a great job. Both actors really elevate this material. The rest of the cast are sound but unfortunately aren’t given all that much to do. Katherine Waterston, unfortunately, is a carbon copy of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley and the rest of the cast just aren’t given all that much to do.

Story-wise, there are parts of this film that rank right up there with the best films in the series and Scott progressively manages to further the world established with ‘Prometheus’. It is a dark, damp middle section that kept me on the edge of my seat and the concepts that are introduced left me thinking for a while after leaving the cinema. This gem though is buried in a film either end of it that is very derivative. We aren’t given much time to get to know the characters before all hell ensues at the beginning, which is a shame when you have such a high pedigree of talent. The ending of the film is very interesting but the obligatory final battle is a complete rehash of ‘Alien’, albeit not as scary or as tension-filled. It also forms a massive gap in the film’s logic of its story but to go into detail would be to spoil the film. And that’s another problem I have with the film – Scott wanted to go back to the horror roots of the original but the film isn’t particularly scary partly because Scott never earns it. How are we supposed to be frightened in a situation where we cannot empathise with the characters or if you’re going to recycle horror tropes from far better films?! The tension is there but there isn’t all that much bite.

I was really excited when it was revealed that Jed Kurzel would be scoring this film, one of the best composers working in the film industry today. Kurzel’s score at times, soars, but for a lot if it, it unfortunately just isn’t that particularly memorable – he had the potential to knock this film out of the park! Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography is as usual, ace and there are some stunning shots in this film and he really makes the most of the set pieces that he can do with.

‘Alien: Covenant’ is unfortunately a bit of a disappointment considering the potential it had and based on the fact that I really liked ‘Prometheus’. ‘Alien: Covenant’ is a film though that will need to be rewatched because I think there is some further substance which wasn’t as apparent on first watch and also as its middle section really is fantastic. Fassbender and McBride are excellent here and when the film finds its footing, it is mesmerising but there is unfortunately, there is a lot of baggage in this film that doesn’t need to be here and it’s a shame it is so derivative in parts. It almost goes to the extent of being a parody which is always dangerous territory. I am still totally invested in this narrative that Scott has crafted and would still eagerly await a sequel but ‘Alien: Covenant’ could have been so much more.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (Review)

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⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, Sean Gunn, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell
Certificate: 12A
Run Time: 136 mins

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is the hotly anticipated sequel to the surprise hit that was 2014’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. James Gunn returns in the director’s chair and as an individual, really is at the forefront of these films, defying expectations from people who were initially critical of this concept. Gunn’s first installment generally received very positive reviews and is one of my favourite entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe thus far. The same cast return and Gunn has also recruited a couple of new names into this universe perhaps most impressively Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell, the latter of whom I am a big fan of. Gunn is a lot more involved in this film, solely taking credit for the script which he co-wrote with Nicole Perlman last time. The intial trailers for this film have looked promising and Gunn doesn’t seem to have made a straight rehash of the first film, instead looking to take it in a refreshing direction. Does Gunn manage to strike gold twice?

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is unevenly paced and overstuffed but the amount of heart it has allows it to just about be successful. Gunn hasn’t made your typical sequel but the story he chooses to tell is all over the place and at times, incoherent. The film retains much of the heart the first film had and this is what allows the film to work better than a film such as ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ or ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ which were lunk-headed, equally overstuffed and had zero heart. Gunn manages to further expand the mythology of this sub-universe of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Guardians of the Galaxy are very much an important and established strand of this behemoth. I just wish the film was better and although the film has recieved positive reviews generally, many people are either very positive or negative. It is only because of the characters and the amount of attention invested in them that I can just about push this film into a 3-star rating.

The cast are as expected, very good and there are a lot of surprises that Gunn has had up his sleeve with regards to them. The main cast – Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel all fare well with perhaps Cooper receiving the most development in his character. Michael Rooker’s Yondu is surprisingly the standout of the entire film and I really felt for his character as the film progressed with his story arc. Sean Gunn is also surprisingly strong in this film as well as Yondu’s first mate, Kraglin. Kurt Russell doesn’t do much to advance his career with this film and he isn’t as nuanced as he has been in a couple of his recent projects but he’s decent enough. Karen Gillan and Elizabeth Debicki are perhaps the weakest links and aren’t given all that much to do.

I admire Gunn for his ambition to take the series in a different direction even if, in my opinion, the film didn’t really gel with me. Unfortunately, it follows recent comic-book trends of being overlong, overstuffed and shockingly at times, boring. The film already has an intimidating run time of 136 minutes  but I could easily have cut the film down to just below the 2 hour mark by removing a plot thread that didn’t bare that much importance in the film. The pacing is all over the place and the film hasn’t really been put together in a coherent manner with some of the changes in scene feeling really choppy. I’ve complained in the past of the final battles being boring and contrived and I had a big problem with this film’s climax too, perhaps the weakest part of the film. It is only because the film manages to redeem itself after this battle that I didn’t come out of the film annoyed.

Music plays a big part in these films with Gunn assembling a soundtrack full of memorable pop hits, just as he did with the first film. It’s refreshing to see Gunn not go for the most obvious hits but I think music is rather overplayed in this film. As for Tyler Bates’ score, it is unfortunately not memorable in the slightest and very uninspired. Henry Braham’s cinematography is very colourful and vibrant – the film has a distinctive colour palette compared to the first film.

Overall, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2’ is decent in its own right but fails to reach the heights of the first film. It is overstuffed and clumsily paced but the film’s heart makes the film worthwhile enough. It puts this strand of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an interesting position for the future and it’ll be interesting to see how these characters mesh with others in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. It is one of the lesser entries in the franchise thus far but in its own right, it’s still fun enough. However for a comic-book film, you can do a lot better than this year with ‘Logan‘ and ‘Wonder Woman‘.

⭐⭐⭐ (Good)

The Handmaiden (Review)

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⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Park Chan-Wook
Starring: Kim Min-Hee, Kim Tae-Ri, Ha Jung-Woo, Cho Jin-Woong
Certificate: 18
Run Time: 145 mins

‘The Handmaiden’ is the new film by Korean director, Park Chan-Wook, of whom I am a big fan of. Most notably, he was responsible for the original ‘Oldboy’ (although I did quite enjoy the remake by Spike Lee too) and ‘Stoker’, his English-language debut. Park Chan-Wook goes back to his roots with ‘The Handmaiden’ which is an adaptation of Sarah Water’s Victorian crime novel ‘Fingersmith’, only it has been relocated to the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of Korea. It tells the story of Sook-hee who is recruited by Count Fujiwara to be the handmaiden of a Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko. Fujiwara plans to marry her and then send her to an asylum in order to gain her inheritance. However, there are some complications to this plan. The Handmaiden’ originally was released at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and received very positive reviews. It has been on my radar ever since then and I am so pleased that it has finally received a UK release. It has taken a long enough time!

‘The Handmaiden’ is Park Chan-Wook at his best – it’s nearly perfect. It has a labyrinthine plot that is interwoven intricately and the characters are developed in an extremely assured manner. It kept me gripped throughout and as the film continues to get more nuts, I was really on board with it. What’s also impressive is that it’s not quite as blatantly violent as some of Park Chan-Wook’s films have been in the past, instead choosing to focus on story. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments of brutal, sadistic violence in this film but it is used sparingly. Visually, the film is beautiful to look at – Chung Chung-Hoon’s cinematography is wonderful and there are plenty of scenery chewing shots.

The performances in this film are utterly superb and hopefully this cast will go on to have strong careers. All of the performances are very layered and the characters that are portrayed at the start of the film are not who we think they are come the end. Kim Tae-Ri as Sook-hee perhaps fares the best out of the leading characters and the film is largely portrayed through her perspective. She manages to convey the mischievousness and self-awareness her character has on this plot but like Lady Hideko, Sook-hee is also naive and child-like in nature.  Kim Min-Hee and Ha Jung-Woo as Lady Hideko and Count Fujiwara are both excellent as well, their characters also going through various transformations in nature. Cho Jin-Woong as Uncle Kouzuki, a character who controls virtually all aspects of Hideko’s life is excellent in a supporting role, a sinister and serpent-like character who becomes more and more prominent as the narrative ensues.

The score by Cho Young-wuk is fitting and compliments the film very well. In an ideal world, I wish Clint Mansell would have been collaborated with Park Chan-Wook again after his sterling work on ‘Stoker’ but the score that we do get is still strong with some memorable themes. The cinematography by Chung Chung-Hoon is where the film marvels visually. He knows when to hang onto a shot and also typical camera angles that you would expect to be implemented do not happen – it is pure eye candy!

Park Chan-Wook continues to cement himself as one of the strongest directors of our time and I’m very pleased ‘The Handmaiden’ has seen the light of day in the UK. It is one of the best films of the year so far and it juggles a labyrinthine plot with visual ecstasy and very strong performances. It kept me gripped throughout its intimidating 145 minute run time and I didn’t want it to end. It left me in a trance and kept me thinking about this plot for quite a while. It isn’t playing in a lot of cinemas but this is a film I urge you to seek out  – it is outstanding.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Top Five Christian Bale Films

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'Knight Of Cups' Photocall, Berlinale 2015

Christian Bale has got a new film out this week called ‘The Promise’ which is the new film directed by Terry George and co-stars Oscar Isaac and Charlotte Le Bon. I thought this would be a suitable time to have a look back at Bale’s career and count down his Top Five films, in my opinion. These films are based on both his performance in them and their quality – if I was ranking simply based on his performance, the list would dramatically change.

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5) Batman Begins

Christopher Nolan’s first Batman film that redefined the comic-book genre and introduced the idea of an origin story, Bale gets a lot to do here and his performance as Bruce Wayne / Batman is very conservative.

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4) 3:10 To Yuma

I’m a sucker for Westerns and James Mangold’s remake of ‘3:10 To Yuma’ had me giddy. It is perhaps one of the best remakes to date – Mangold manages to use the iconography of the genre but also stick his signature stamp onto it. Bale’s character is very multi-dimensional and he really goes through a lot of stick and Russell Crowe also gives a great performance here.

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3) Out Of The Furnace 

A very unlikely choice and although ‘Out Of The Furnace’, on paper is Scott Cooper’s worst film, for me the film is near-perfect. It is a revenge thriller full of many layers and Bale’s performance as the troubled protagonist is completely full of conviction and his character goes through a hell of a lot in this film. Forget ‘American Hustle’ of that year, this was the film Bale shone in!

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2) The Prestige

A very close race and I was tempted to put this first, Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Prestige’ is a masterpiece and full of brains. It is endlessly rewatchable and I always notice something new in this film each time I watch it. Both Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are excellent here but I think Bale gives the better performance as a character full of layers. It’s a shame that this film is quite underrated when it comes to Nolan’s filmography but if you can seek it out, it is more than worth your attention.

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1) The Dark Knight

What would a Christian Bale list be without this iconic film? ‘The Dark Knight’ is the film that rules all comic-book films and which all comic-book films strive to reach the quality of. It is simply breathtaking and features perfect measures of action, brains and narrative. Performance-wise, of coure this is the late-Heath Ledger’s film with his daring turn as the Joker which ultimately earnt him a posthumous Academy Award. Bale’s Bruce Wayne / Batman does get sidelined but Bale really develops as a character here and particularly in the now-iconic prison interrogation sequence, Bale more than holds up his own against Ledger. Great film and a measured Christian Bale performance.

So there we go, there’s my personal Top Five. You’re probably wondering though, where are ‘The Machinist’, ‘American Hustle’, ‘The Fighter’ (for which he won an Oscar for) and ‘The Big Short‘? Well whilst I do like those films, I feel that these five are more special to me although these films do contain some of his best performances too. Here’s hoping ‘The Promise’ is worthwhile and that this very versatile and talented actor’s career continues to flourish.

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‘The Promise’ will be released in UK cinemas on Friday 28th April

Get Out (Review)

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⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Lil Rel Howery, Stephen Root, LaKeith Stanfield, Catherine Keener
Certificate: 15
Run Time: 103 mins

‘Get Out’ is Jordan Peele’s (one half of comedy duo ‘Key and Peele) directorial debut. It is a comedy-horror about a couple, Chris Walker (Daniel Kaluuya) and Rose Armitage (Allison Williams), who embark on a weekend trip to Rose’s parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener). Chris is worried that they won’t be accept him due to his African-American heritage. Whilst this initially does not appear to be an issue, there is a constant ominous feeling that builds throughout the film that something isn’t right, ultimately developing into a crescendo of tension.

‘Get Out’ is an innovative and intelligent comedy-horror that is meticulously crafted and endlessly cine-literate. The concept behind this film is very original and is highly critical and satirical of the post-Obama presidency. Rose’s father even states in a recurring line that he “would have nominated Obama for a third term.” Its final third is particularly impressive as the narrative starts to gradually unravel, culminating in a collection of shocking sequences. It also features an interesting score by Michael Abels that is an eclectic mix of neck-prickling strings and melodic themes. The cinematography by Tony Oliver is also thoughtful and well-judged. 

The film is not without flaws though. Several scenes prior to the big reveal are quite unnecessary and if this film wasn’t in the hands of such a talented director, it is very possible that the film could have fallen apart. Also, there is nothing particularly noteworthy with the performances – the cast are competent but nothing more. 

‘Get Out’ is proof that the horror genre is once again at a high and it can be added to a growing list of sophisticated and atmospheric horror films that have been released over the last couple of years. If Peele continues to come up with equally ambitious ideas, he will go far in the film industry. 

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Excellent)

Worst Five Films of 2016

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Whilst 2016 brought us some fantastic films,  it is fair to say that 2016 hosted some of its fair shares of cinema atrocities too. Luckily, not as many 20 which is what I have in my favourites list, but listed below are 5 films that really got me seething. I must note before that I actively try and avoid films that I just know are going to be horrendous (a real film critic has to sit through everything though which is what in an ideal world, I want to be) so this list might not be truly representative. One must also realise the difference between a film that is disappointing and a film that is truly bad. I could probably find 20 films that disappointed me last year but this is not the purpose of this post. Compared to 2015, I have to say that this list is a lot more mild. Although the worst film on this list is a bad film, if I were listing these films in tandem with last year, I think the Top 4 are probably worse from last year than the worst film this year. 

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5) The Neon Demon 

I’ve had a very mixed relationship with director Nicolas Winding Refn and his films. I really liked ‘Drive’ but I do find his direction generally quite obtrusive and this film has all of his worst qualities. Reviews for this film have been decidedly mixed and I can understand why one might like this film and I really did try to stick it out and try and find something of value here but around the half-way mark, I couldn’t and the film really started to get on my nerves. Elle Fanning is good enough in the lead role but I absolutely hated her character and the message that Refn was sending out to audiences. The rest of the performances were pretty poor, with the exception of Keanu Reeves who seems to be having fun here in a really odd, misguided storyline. The film is obviously designed to shock in places which it does but it’s too little too late and when you have characters as utterly hateful as the ones here are, there’s not much to save this film.

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4) X-Men: Apocalypse 

‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ severely drops the ball big time – it is far and away the worst entry in the entire franchise and apart from a promising first 45 minutes or so, is a CGI bore. The story is incoherent and sloppy and particularly towards the film’s climax, the film is unwatchable. Even the acting which is normally stellar is very underwhelming and there are many examples of both old and new characters phoning it in. There is some stuff to like here – there are a couple of good sequences and the film opens up rather promisingly but other than this, the film is an outright disaster. It is an overstuffed and incoherent mess. (My original review here)

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3) Bad Santa 2 

It pains me to say that ‘Bad Santa 2′ is a lazy, puerile, mean-spirited sequel. It’s not funny at all save for a few one liners that got a faint chuckle out of me and the film actually really got on my nerves as the film progressed. It’s not quite as offensive as some other comedy sequels as it doesn’t try and turn the humour up to 11, instead ‘Bad Santa 2’ is just painfully flat and has no plot. On the narrative front, it’s pretty ropey but Billy Bob Thornton at least gives a good performance as the titular character but it’s just an awful shame he’s been equipped with such a bad script that pairs him up with hateful characters – it’s not going to do him any favours and will undoubtedly be another hit on his career which he doesn’t need.  Alarm bells should have been ringing when news of Mark Waters’ hiring was announced – he is not suitable for this material and has spat upon the legacy of a film that I really like. ‘Bad Santa 2’ can be thrown away and burnt on the ever-increasing list of bad comedy sequels – it is not the Christmas treat that we deserved or wanted. (My original review here)

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2) Midnight Special 

Surprisingly, a film that was critically acclaimed by both critics and audiences but I found to be absolutely dire. What I will say before completing ripping this film apart is that the always talented Michael Shannon and Joel Edgerton’s performances are great even if they look confused to be in this film. Other than this, the film is  lazy, unoriginal and annoyingly directed by Jeff Nichols who I increasingly dislike as a film director but many others think he’s very talented. Not being able to connect with the film at all, I stuck with it on the promise that the ending was going to really be something special but it wasn’t. I’m not saying for a second I don’t like Steven Spielberg but the best way to describe ‘Midnight Special’ is by imagining a film with the corny qualities of Steven Spielberg directed with the utter contempt that Jeff Nichols has and feels like it’s 3 hours long. An utter snoozefest and I don’t understand how others have loved it. I haven’t even dared to approach ‘Loving’ yet which got critical buzz. 

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1) The Boy

Ever since the first trailer came out, I was very trepidacious about the film and then after finally watching it, ‘The Boy’ confirmed my fears. It is horrendously acted, is not scary in the slightest and at the film’s big reveal at the end, it is utterly laughable and I couldn’t take the film seriously. The film looks like it was made-for-television and is cliched the entire way through and offers nothing new to the genre. At least however, it isn’t as offensive as the majority of the films listed as my Worst Films of 2015 but in terms of all the films that I have watched in 2016, this was the worst one. A real shame and it doesn’t do the horror genre any favours – luckily, the year was otherwise triumphant with films such as ‘The Witch’, ‘Green Room’, ‘Under The Shadow’, ‘Hush’ and ‘The Conjuring 2‘ that managed to make a lasting impression and made people forget about this film. But I didn’t forget about it and so here it is so that it can get the embarassment it so rightly deserves. 

So there we go – as mentioned, I’m sure if I would have actively gone and watched all the really bad films, this list would definitely change but I didn’t. The fact still remains though, regardless of whether there is anything worse out there, this list is still a collection of flops. However, as mentioned compared to last year, 2016 was a miracle run in terms of bad films and I would question whether ‘The Boy’ would even rank in the Top Five from last year. Fingers crossed 2017 ends up being as good a year as 2016 but also that there is nothing truly awful released.

Best Films of 2016 (10-1)

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This is the second part of my Best Films of 2015 feature detailing my Top Ten films. Click here to read numbers 20 to 11 and the Honourable Mentions.

Without further ado, here are my Top Ten films of 2016:

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10) The Revenant 

The first of four Westerns, ‘The Revenant’ is a visually stunning film and it boasts many outstanding sequences. It has some excellent central performances and boasts original cinematography and an atmospheric score. Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy are both mesmerising here and Iñárritu has really developed as a director. The battle sequences are wonderfully crafted and there are some beautifully shot landscapes to create the film’s atmosphere by Emmanuel Lubezki who deservedly won his third Academy Award in a row. This is probably the best-looking film of 2016. My only gripes with ‘The Revenant’ are its pacing is a little stretched at parts and its story is a little simplistic for a 156 minute running time. But the execution is where ‘The Revenant’ wows and it really is a work of art. (My original review here)

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9) Bone Tomahawk

The next  Westerns in this list, ‘Bone Tomahawk’ is definitely one of the most interesting films of the year. This is the debut of writer / musician / director S. Craig Zahler and he really is a talent to look out for. Although the film is overlong in its middle section, ‘Bone Tomahawk’ poses some interesting ideas and has a wonderful script penned by Zahler which really is so well-written. The cast are all brilliant with career-best performances from Matthew Fox and Richard Jenkins but it is Patrick Wilson in my opinion, who is the standout and by the film’s big third act reveal, the characters are so well-developed that we really care for them. The film manages to juggle both elements of a Western and a Horror film and the film is really quite grisly and gruesome at times. I was utterly transfixed by this film and was left in utter shock when the film finished that I was speechless for a few moments. I just wish the film was a little more tightly edited in its middle section and then it could rank even higher. If you have been convinced to watch this, I would recommend reading Zahler’s novel, ‘Wraiths Of The Broken Land’ first to get a flavour for the fantastic dialogue and descriptions that he uses and then you will be able to see his genius translated into this film. I am very interested to see what Zahler does next, he really is a talent to look out for. The film has improved even more on subsequent rewatches enough for me to put it above ‘The Revenant’ which in the Mid-Year report, I had put one position above this film. 

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8) Hell Or High Water

The next Western, ‘Hell Or High Water’ is a near-perfect film and gets better every time I watch it. It tells the story of two brothers who are desperate to keep their family ranch from being foreclosed on by the bank who resort to robbing banks whilst at the same time being investigated by Jeff Bridges’ Texas Ranger. The film is extremely well-directed by David Mackenzie and manages to juggle all the best elements of a rural Western / revenge thriller whilst standing out on its own. It tackles a multitude of thematic elements and is very poetic in its narrative. Even the theme of just sitting down and enjoying a beer is extremely engaging in this film. The performances by the cast all-round in this film are excellent as expected from Jeff Bridges and Ben Foster but it is a real surprise see Chris Pine hold his own as I have really not been a fan of him in the past. The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis is note-perfect and is probably the best musical score of the year. Giles Nuttgens shoots this film extremely well and there are a lot of really creative shots in this film. I love this film and was very happy to see it feature in this year’s Academy Awards even though it was evident from the outset that it didn’t have a hope in hell in winning. 

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7) Nocturnal Animals 

‘Nocturnal Animals’ is a suitably dark, poetic and meticulously crafted film by Tom Ford and features some utterly spellbinding sequences. It features brilliant performances across the board but the standouts are Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon and surprisingly Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The stories are intricately woven together and the cinematography and score are absolutely stunning. It is a near-perfect film but where perhaps the film is a little flawed is in Ford’s precise attention to detail and the film can feel a little removed from its material as it sometimes doesn’t get a chance to breathe. Jake Gyllenhaal’s characters novel which becomes a central focus in the story and slowly begins to drip into Amy Adams’ reality is by far the strongest link in the film and it is perfectly crafted but Adams’ arc is also carefully constructed and the juxtapositions between these different arcs and stories are endlessly poetic. It’s a really challenging watch and every time I rewatch it, I find something new in it. You don’t get films like ‘Nocturnal Animals’ very often.  (My original review here)

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6) I, Daniel Blake 

‘I, Daniel Blake’ is hard-hitting, heart-tugging and at times, invokes feelings of sheer devastation. It is incredibly well-directed and acted, both Johns and Squires are perfect in their respective roles and their characters are so well-developed that as an audience, we really care for them, perhaps Dave Johns’ titular character is the character I managed to empathise most with in any film this year.  There are multiple scenes here which are very hard to watch and the film offers a very realistic take on the benefits system in England, a very timely and important issue. What the film doesn’t do and why it doesn’t earn the full 5-stars is it doesn’t explore the opposite end of the spectrum – people who do take advantage of the benefits system and if the film had done this, it would have been more well-rounded and justified in its approach. (My original review here)

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5) Eye In The Sky 

Into the Top Five and we have ‘Eye in the Sky’ which is a taut and heartfelt application of the effects of drone warfare that is morally conflicting and features some fantastic performances – it’s straight up there as one of the best films of the year and is just what Gavin Hood needed. It is expertly paced and runs an economical yet efficient 102 minutes, enough to make a lasting impression on audiences and poses lots of moral arguments. The only reason why it doesn’t quite earn a 5-star rating is because the film doesn’t really develop its characters too much and having slightly more of a human edge to the film wold have informed audiences more coherently as to why characters make the vital choices that they do. (My original review here)

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4) 10 Cloverfield Lane 

’10 Cloverfield Lane’ is an incredible, intense Hitchcockian film that is taut and claustrophobic and gives us three fantastic performances from its trio. The script is absolutely terrific and it’s very easy to spot ‘Whiplash’ director, Damien Chazelle’s contribution. Dan Trachtenberg’s direction is very astute and assured and he will surely go on to do great things. It is a superb film and is 5-star material. Unfortunately, all this good work is undone by a very lacklustre final 15 minutes which is very haphazardly handled and tarnishes all the good work done and leaves a very sour note on all the development the film has undergone to set the audience up to its ending. However, just taking the film alone with the exception of this muddled ending, it is near-perfect. Rewatching this film, I continue to feel the same way, it really is a shame the last 15 minutes undoes what is a perfect film. (Full review here)

Now into the top #3…

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3) Grimsby 

Although perhaps a very surprising and out-of-place choice, I found ‘Grimsby’ to be one of the best comedies not just of the year, but of the decade – it is consistently hilarious (although quite vulgar in parts) and the cast are wonderful, in particular the two leads, Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong, who displays a real panache for comedic roles. Louis Leterrier has really developed as a director and seems to have a flair for comedy.  The film’s pacing is perfect and it is one of the very rare comedies that is consistently funny – thre is not one dull moment in it. However, the only criticism is that Leterrier still cannot quite grasp how to direct an action scene and this is a recurring theme in all of his films. It’s a real shame how this film has been almost completely misunderstood and has garnered rather mixed reviews, but I would definitely recommend giving it a shot! It more than holds up on subsequent rewatches and the jokes really are laugh-a-minute. (My original review here)

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2) The Hateful Eight 

Business as usual, ‘The Hateful Eight’ is another knockout from Tarantino – it’s bloody and gory, has fantastic speeches and an excellent story. It has some brilliant performances with the standouts being Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth and Walton Goggins. It’s suitably gory and ramps the tension up with gusto and the film gets even better on each subsequent rewatch, I manage to get something new out of the experience each time I rewatch it. That said, there’s no doubt that the film is a little baggy and perhaps could lose 20 minutes – the film would be leaner and more heavy-hitting but as usual with Tarantino, the script is the gem and getting to know these characters and seeing them developed is a work of art and the film builds the suspense up very carefully. (Full review here)

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1) Room 

Very rarely would I say this, but ‘Room’ is a perfect film and deserves a 5 star rating. It is an inspiring watch and reaches various emotional heights. The performances from the cast all round are nothing short of incredible and Lenny Abrahamsson’s careful and assured direction works wonders. The film has a beaming heart at its core – at times the film is devastatingly sad and at others, warm and feel-good. There is never a dull moment – the film is expertly paced and takes ample time to develop its characters. (My original review here)

So there we go, these films were in my opinion, the best of 2015. What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or tweet @TheFilmMeister

Best Films of 2016 (20-11)

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Now that we are in full swing of the 2017 films, it’s time to reflect on 2016 and here I share my Top 20 Films of the year. I know that I am very late in the game but there were quite a few films I didn’t get to watch in time and felt that it would be a disservice to generate a list that wasn’t truly reflective of the year. 2016 was, overall, a very interesting year in film – a lot of the films that I expected to be great were disappointing and a number of films that were unheard of or those that I initially had little faith in were excellent. I am pretty confident that I can now share my best films of last year which has been very hard to compile.

Although my Mid-Year Report only included ten films, this list will include 20 films with some honourable mentions as I couldn’t find the heart to neglect so many of these films. The rank order has changed a little from the Mid-Year Report on account of rewatching a lot of these films multiple times and some I have found are more rewatchable than others. So just because a film ranked higher earlier on last year doesn’t necessarily mean this will be the case now – that’s just the beauty of the art of film I guess. 

Here I rank numbers 20 to 11. The Top Ten will be detailed in a separate post.

Note

I am following the UK release date calendar from January 1st to December 31st hence why a lot of the Awards films do not feature here and why there are some from last year. 

Honourable Mentions

Here are my honourable mentions, films that didn’t quite make it into the Top Twenty but I feel that they should still deserve a mention. Please note I have listed them in alphabetical order – this is not a ranking of them. 

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Arrival

‘Arrival’ is masterfully constructed by Villeneuve and for its first two thirds  is particularly gripping. The performances are strong here too and yet again, Villeneuve’s team behind-the-camera do some good work. However, the film bites off a bit more than it can chew in its last third and although the film is still very interesting and original, it does begin to derail and struggle through towards its ending. I’m not going to go into spoilers as this is a film that needs to be watched blindly but I felt the film did leave a lot of questions unanswered and the ending does have a few plot holes to it. Initially, I said that this is a film that warrants multiple rewatches so perhaps things will become clearer on subsequent viewings – they do and the film does give you quite a lot of hints as to what the ending is going to be but on a rewatch, I had a few more problems with the film and initially in the cinema when I had mentioned that the first two acts are stronger, my perception of those acts was only the first half of the film. It’s a film that for a sci-fi is very low on action and big set-pieces – this is very much a thinking person’s sci-fi and is not too dissimilar thematically from films such as ‘Contact’ or ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ for example. On the strength of its first half, I wanted to put it into the Top Twenty but there are too many problems for this film to warrant a spot but for sheer craftsmanship, it’s worth a spot here. Here’s hoping Denis Villeneuve does a good job of the upcoming ‘Blade Runner 2049’ – if he can’t do a good job, then no one can. (My original review here)

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A United Kingdom 

‘A United Kingdom’ is a very easy film to like – it’s a great blend of being informative on this little-known subject matter which is quite shocking at times, funny at times and always profoundly humane. It’s got a collection of strong performances and it is very well-paced and never outstays its welcome. That said, it does race through its beginning before Oyelowo and Pike reach Bechuanaland and perhaps another ten minutes or so to explore their relationship would have been more realistic because they very quickly get married in the space of 15 minutes. It also doesn’t particularly push the envelope in terms of innovation which is why it doesn’t receive full marks but the film is a very easy watch and is endlessly engaging. (My original review here)

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Bleed For This

Out of all the films that appear in this list, ‘Bleed For This’ was the one that I watched closest to publication and I was very impressed with it. The sports drama genre is not normally one that I associate as liking that much but with this film, ‘Southpaw’ and the cream of the crop, ‘Foxcatcher’ last year, it’s a genre that I’m really starting to admire. The performances in this film are excellent – Miles Teller gives it his all as Vincenzo Pazienza and the performances by Aaron Eckhart and Ciaran Hinds are equally as effective. Although this film generally received good reviews, many labelled it as conventional which I don’t think is quite true. In its middle act, I found it very different and the way the film was generally directed and shot was very competent and unashamed. It’s a really strong piece of work and I hope those who may be put off because of the genre are not. 

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Green Room 

‘Green Room’ is a very interesting film. It is directed by Jeremy Saulnier who made ‘Blue Ruin’, a revenge thriller in 2013 which I had a lot of problems with but admired its intentions. ‘Green Room’ looked like it had turned it all around for Saulnier and I was particularly interested to watch this film as it had Patrick Stewart in it as a villain and is one of Anton Yelchin’s final roles who so tragically died last year. The first time I watched ‘Green Room’, I didn’t like it. However, assured that I had missed something from it, I watched it again and found a lot more to like in it. I have since watched it twice more and whilst it still has a myriad of problems, it’s an accomplished piece of work. It is suitably nasty, gory and tension-filled and Patrick Stewart delivers one of his best performances ever. The film tackles some quite interesting themes and there are a lot of shots which I found really touching, one near the ending in particular involving a dog and its bond with its owner. It’s a film that is still flawed but it is a film that manages to evolve into something new on each rewatch. Watch it if you can and don’t be put off if the film doesn’t quite cut it (pun intended) on first viewing. 

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The Legend of Tarzan

‘The Legend of Tarzan’ is extremely entertaining and frequently atmospheric, almost poetic in its assured direction by David Yates at times and the film’s strong cast allow this film to thrive. The film is very well-paced and the action sequences are exhilarating at times. Unfortunately, the film was not received well by the critics with many citing it as an empty, hollow film which I can understand as the film does lack heart in places and Alexander Skarsgård does lack charisma as the titular character but excels in the action sequences. The visual effects are a little ‘ropey’ at times. But these issues do not harm, what is generally a pretty good film, too much as its direction and entertaining storyline more than make up for it and I feel it deserves a mention as it will otherwise be forgotten. It has really held up on rewatching this film multiple times and controversially, I find it a better film than the critical darling that is Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book‘. (My original review here)

Now onto the Top Twenty:

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20) The Nice Guys

‘The Nice Guys’ was the closest film to get into the Top Twenty and I really struggled with my decision whether to let it in or not. It was between this film and ‘A United Kingdom’ but I felt this film took a lot more risks and gets even better on every rewatch. When this film was released, it really didn’t do all that well at the box office barely earning back its budget. I really like Shane Black as both a writer and director and this film has the best of both his talents. The performances all round in this film are great and the story is full of twists and turns. The cinematography by Philippe Rousselot is particularly great and there are a lot of shots in this film that may not have been thought of by other cinematographers which Rousselot implements. It’s quite interesting to see that this film has managed to sneak into quite a lot of other critical rankings, much higher than the 20th position that I have awarded it so by-and-large, this is a film that really warrants your attention. I think the main reason why this film failed financially was because it was released in a pretty packed month and was up against some stiff competition in the form of other blockbusters.

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19) Sully 

‘Sully’ is quite workmanlike in its execution but it’s a fascinating subject matter that Eastwood is able to spin a riveting narrative out of and it features some fantastic performances, particularly from Tom Hanks and Aaron Eckhart. It features an efficient blend of awe-inspiring plane crash sequences that play out in Sully’s mind throughout the film and some gripping investigatory work from the NTSB of which some is rather fictionalised but it makes for a great viewing. However Eastwood’s workmanlike execution is his downfall as he doesn’t particularly do too much out of his comfort zone and this is very alike to some of his other films in its direction – you pretty much get what you expect. (My original review here)

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18) Mustang

Although filmed and released in some territories in 2015, the UK got ‘Mustang’ in 2016 and it really is a very important film. ‘Mustang’ tells the tales of five sisters who are forced to get married by their parents after being spotted playing with boys. It is a timely film and one that reinforces how important the role of women is not just in the film industry but in real life. The film was directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, a Turkish-French female director who has said a lot of interesting things on the topic but the film never feels like a lecture, it feels very innocently put together without a strong agenda. The film is outright shocking at times and the performances by the entire cast are really genuine. The score by Warren Ellis is utterly sublime and really helps to elevate the content being portrayed on-screen. ‘Mustang’ is a really important film and a real eye-opener. 

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17) Doctor Strange 

‘Doctor Strange’ is a delight from start to finish – it is thoroughly entertaining, extremely well-paced and has perhaps the best visual effects that I have seen in a film for a while. The film is bolstered by its excellent cast who are all wonderful and Scott Derrickson is a clear fit for the material –  you can really tell the passion that has gone into this film behind the camera. It’s a lot more stripped down than this Summer’s ‘Captain America: Civil War‘ which was effectively an ‘Avengers 2.5’ team-up and by having less characters to juggle around, it really means the film can get a chance to breathe and develop these characters. (My original review here)

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16) The Colony 

This is probably the point where if you’ve heard about this film, you stop reading. You’ve probably heard all of the horror stories of this film if you follow the film industry, the negative reviews and the fact that The Guardian ran a story on how it earnt just £47 at the UK box office. Hold on a minute and I will try to justify myself including ‘The Colony’ (more commonly known as ‘Colonia’). First of all, on the subject of money, this film was simulataneously released on VOD which is not uncommon for a lot of films meaning that although the film will most likely suffer financially in the cinema, it will earn money back over VOD and DVD. Now I found the actual film, regardless of money, to tell a very important story about ‘Colonia Dignidad’ and the Chilean Military Coup. It is gripping and the stakes that face the characters of Lena and Daniel, played by Emma Watson and Daniel Brühl, are very intense. Michael Nyqvist’s performance as Paul Schäfer, the antagonistic leader of ‘Colonia Dignidad’ is terrifying at times and really manages to convey just what a horrible individual this man was. It’s a really entertaining film that constantly ups its stakes whilst at the same time, taking place in a wider context that the film does an admirable job in educating the viewer about. It’s a really interesting watch and one that I would really encourage giving a watch – ignore the reviews and its box office figures. 

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15) Spotlight 

‘Spotlight’ is an excellent film and really showcases the best in Tom McCarthy from his close direction to the excellent, tightly-packed script. The cast are wonderful and it manages to deal with such a sensitive subject matter in a very entertaining and satisfying fashion and once it gets going after establishing a context, it rip-roars right through to the end. However, my only criticism is that it doesn’t do a lot to set itself apart from other films of this genre. It follows the tried-and-tested formula all the way, as entertaining and satisfying as it is but that is why it doesn’t rank any higher. (My original review here)

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14) Finding Dory 

‘Finding Dory’ is  an endlessly entertaining sequel that is peppered with clever humour and it’s also a rather poignant film that explores some very thought-provoking themes. It’s not quite as good as ‘Finding Nemo’, but it doesn’t simply retread the same narrative again instead choosing to tackle some different themes. The animation, in true Pixar fashion, is stunning and the film manages to successfully introduce and develop new characters that I am sure audiences will come to love. (My original review here)

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13) Zootopia 

Originally earning 8th place in my Mid-Year report, ‘Zootopia’ is a masterfully crafted film from Disney and is their best film since ‘Tangled’. What sets it apart from their other films is the fact this film’s story is completely different to anything they have ever done before and is a mystery that kept me guessing right to the end. The world that they have created here is very convincing and is a world that I would love to visit – the animation is that good! The voice cast here are also exemplary with the standouts being Jason Bateman, Idris Elba and J.K. Simmons, all three actors perfectly suitable to their respective roles. I really enjoyed this film and like all the best Disney films found it totally engaging, extremely funny in parts and explores some interesting themes. 

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12) Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 

‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them’ is an extremely well-directed film again by David Yates which features some great performances and superb character development. The story is exceptionally well-crafted (did we ever not have faith in Rowling in this department?) and I’m especially impressed that the film that we got is a very different one compared to what the trailers suggested – the film has a lot of surprises and twists and storylines that were not shown in the trailers and this is a very strong move. Yates continues to impress me with his direction (also directing ‘The Legend of Tarzan‘ which landed an honourable mention) and again, is a great match for this material and there are numerous sequences that are perfectly crafted which he is able to conjure a very atmospheric tone. Yates may well have his naysayers but I strongly disagree. The tone Yates goes for is very well judged and the film is very dark for a 12A, perhaps more so than the Harry Potter series and he manages to blend darkness, spectacle and humour perfectly. The film however is a little heavy-handed when it comes to romance. Another flaw the film battles is due to the amount of content it has to set up, the first hour is a little uneven compared to the second half when the film fully lets rip but the film is always very engaging and entertaining. This film is the first of what is envisaged to be a 5-film franchise which I would be really interested in but I do think there are some problems that this film sets up for the second film. (My original review here)

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11) The Witch 

I juggled between places 8-11 in terms of how to rank them and just missing out on the Top Ten is ‘The Witch’. It is a very interesting piece of work that has been incredibly well-researched from debut director Robert Eggers and the script is very authentic. It’s not too scary (I think it has been wrongly marketed as an out-and-out horror film which it’s not) but Eggers is able to conjure a very intense and atmospheric tone and the film has some very interesting religious messages – it almost plays out like a parable at times. Although the cast aren’t particularly well-known, I think this film is going to allow them a breakthrough, in particular Anya Taylor-Joy (evidently she has gone to get a lot of work) and Harvey Scrimshaw, both very convincing young actors. The film does stumble a little in its mid-section where there are a couple of drawn-out conversations which don’t really go anywhere and as mentioned, the marketing for the film is very misleading – although the film is not a horror film, ‘The Witch’ is instead an extremely insightful, atmospheric and philosophical watch that deserves all the praise it is getting and a film that gets better on every rewatch. 

So there we go, numbers 20 down to 11. Stay tuned for the Top Ten in a separate post…

What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or tweet @TheFilmMeister