The long-awaited Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is currently playing in cinemas and who would have thought we’d see Harrison Ford continue to play the role as an octogenarian? The series began 42 years ago in 1981 with Raiders of the Lost Ark. Director Steven Spielberg had found tremendous success with Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind but had tainted his career with 1941, so he teamed with George Lucas on a project inspired by some of the early 20th century serial films he enjoyed in his youth.

When Raiders of the Lost Ark opened to critical and financial acclaim, it spawned a prequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and a sequel, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Many consider these films to be a perfect trilogy, but the team had another crack with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which released in 2008. Although it also opened to positive reviews, many didn’t find it as satisfying as the original trilogy for various reasons, chiefly some far-fetched setpieces inspired by 1950s sci-fi. While many at the time assumed Kingdom of the Crystal Skull to be the final installment in the series, due to both Ford’s age and the fact the ending left his character with a peaceful resolution.

Alas, this was not the case and now 15 years later, we have Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny which is surely the final film. Dial of Destiny represents the first time Steven Spielberg isn’t in the director’s chair, nor George Lucas on story duties. Instead, Logan and Ford v Ferrari director James Mangold helms the project.

5) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

The weakest entry in the series by some distance, Dial of Destiny disappoints with its unconvincing visual effects and the fact lacks a sense of fun in its action sequences. It also could easily lose half an hour and largely fails to add any meaningful development to its characters. Although Harrison Ford turns in another committed performance, newcomer Phoebe Waller-Bridge doesn’t share much of a chemistry with him. Mads Mikkelsen turns in a reliably slimy performance as the villainous Jürgen Voller but it’s a shame his villain is rather straightforwardly written. It’s not all for nothing, as director James Mangold hints at a more interesting depiction of Indy in its early sequences as a drunk and miserable shadow of his former self before the film contently runs through the motions – he’s a fine director and I suspect Disney watered down his original vision.

• Read the full Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny review here

4) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

A terrific third entry which not only functions as the next Indiana Jones adventure but also an exploration as to why and how he came to be. In this film, Jones partners with his father (an spot-on Sean Connery) to track down the Holy Grail. The initial opening sequence which features the late River Phoenix as young Jones is particularly gripping and throughout the film, Spielberg strikes an almost perfect balance between rip-roaring action and surprising poignancy, which differentiates it from the first two films. Alison Doody is another highlight as the charismatic Elsa Schneider and the final set-piece with the Holy Grail is masterfully crafted. It speaks volumes of the quality of the rest of the franchise that this film is only fourth and for me, it’s a film I tend to rewatch less than my next picks as it’s not paced quite as well.

3) Raiders of the Lost Ark

The film that started it all and what many consider to be the peak of the series only makes the third position in my list. “Heresy”, I hear you say. This first installment is a blast from start to finish and really cemented Spielberg in the action-adventure genre. Ford is excellent from the off and Karen Allen’s Marion Ravenwood is just as compelling, and shares a compelling chemistry with Indy. Ronald Lacey is another highlight as the iconic henchman, Arnold Toht, a particularly nasty Gestapo agent. The majority of the action sequences are superb, from the opening sequence that’s largely disassociated from the rest of the film that tells you all you need to know about Indy to a kinetic chase on the streets of Cairo. So why is Raiders of the Lost Ark only in third? Two reasons – firstly, Paul Freeman’s villain just isn’t as impressionable as others in the series and I don’t think the film is paced quite as perfectly as my top two picks.

2) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

A choice that’s sure to spark a witch hunt in the comments section, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a vastly underrated sequel. Although thirty years older than his previous appearance in The Last Crusade, the grizzled nature of Ford’s performance suits the story Spielberg and Lucas concoct and Karen Allen effortlessly slip back into the role of Marion and shares a great rapport with Indy. I’ll go on the record to say I don’t take issue with Shia LaBoeuf either as Mutt Williams as the character receives a meaningful arc and his past baggage is integral to the plot. There’s great performances from the rest of the cast too, with John Hurt getting lots to do and Ray Winstone clearly having fun as a former agent who worked with Jones. Although Cate Blanchett is completely over-the-top as the villainous Soviet military scientist, it’s completely in keeping with the film’s 1950’s pulp sci-fi influences (even the questionable CGI many complain of). The action sequences are terrific, from a horror-inflected graveyard scramble to a balletic car chase which culminates in a punch-up among heroes and villains, while trying to avoid an army of giant ants. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is exactly the risk this series needed and it leaves Indy in a peaceful resolution that didn’t warrant Dial of Destiny coming to trample all over.

1) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

A very different and darker film than Raiders of the Lost Ark, Spielberg and Lucas chose to make a prequel that explored a younger Indy a year before the events of the original. Despite mixed initial reviews and even Spielberg himself referred to the film as his least favourite of the four when Kingdom of the Crystal Skull released. However, this darker entry is exactly the kick this series needed – gone are the Nazi’s and light-heartedness and instead, we get themes of the occult and devil worship. Ford turns in another excellent performance as the titular character and Amrish Puri is a highlight as the terrifying villain, Mola Ram. Ke Huy Quan makes for a terrific sidekick as Short Round and despite common criticism of Kate Capshaw’s nightclub singer love interest as a shrilling damsel-in-distress, the character really works in context of the film. The action sequences are thrilling throughout, be it the mine cart chase or the rope bridge finale and I appreciated the influences and references to the James Bond films. Temple of Doom is one of my favourite action films of all time, so dark that the MPAA introduced the PG-13 rating.

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

The comic-book genre propelled back into full swing in 2021 after a brief lull in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. 2022 continued that trend, bringing us six new films. Here, I rank these films in order of my personal preference.

Marvel closed off its Phase Four with three MCU entries. This included the long-awaited Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the latter film having to reinvent its titular superhero after the sad and sudden death of its star Chadwick Boseman.

In the Sony slate, Morbius released, following last year’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

It looked like it would be a bumper year for DC with The Batman, Batgirl, Shazam: Fury of the Gods and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom due for release. The Batman released without issue but the latter two films have been moved to next year, with Black Adam brought forward. Then, Batgirl shockingly faced the unexpected and unfortunate of its production closing, after DC were reportedly not happy with the quality of the film and wanted to save future costs. As you’d expect, this attracted a significant amount of controversy.

There’s a varying degree of quality in this list but for the most part, it was a strong year for the genre, although not up to the standard of 2021. Let’s get started!

6) Morbius

The only out-and-out failure of the year, Sony still hasn’t figured out what it’s doing with its Spider-Man supervillain cinematic universe. On paper, the film really works as this is the kind of role Jared Leto excels in and director Daniel Espinosa has proved his hand at horror with the sci-film film, Life. Alas, this was not meant to be and the result is a film with a 1990’s aesthetic and script, that packs no surprises up its sleeve and has surprisingly poor visual effects.

The script is dull and lifeless and Leto is unable to inject his personality to lighten things up. Of the rest of the cast, Matt Smith is poor as the villain and the always reliable Jared Harris is given nothing to work with. There is a bewildering cameo from Michael Keaton as Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming, in a vein attempt to bridge the Sony and Marvel Cinematic Universe’s together.

It may be damning with faint praise, but Morbius is an upgrade over Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which had no redeeming features to it. Still, Sony need to do better and I hope Kraven The Hunter will be the film to break the poor streak. With the excellent J. C. Chandor in the director’s chair, behind A Most Violent Year and Triple Frontier, I’m hopeful.

There is now a significant increase in quality…

5) Black Adam

Hotly anticipated after many years of development, Dwayne Johnson’s anti-hero finally hit the big screen this year. Black Adam is a mixed bag and is generally pretty mindless and disposable, albeit reasonably entertaining. Despite a two hour run time, the film never takes the time to breathe and focus on developing its character, instead choosing to prioritise action sequence after action sequence. By the end of the a climactic battle towards the end of the film’s second act, it’s pretty derivative superhero fare but the third act somewhat reframes the first two acts in a more interesting light.

Jungle Cruise‘s Jaume Collet-Serra’s direction is rather anonymous but the hallmarks of a more adult-oriented film are evident. Prior to the film’s release, the studio were required to make cuts to achieve a 12A / PG-13 rating – arguably, a 15 / R rating is just what the film needs to elevate it. 

Black Adam isn’t the DCEU’s crowning achievement and it’s a shame it rarely strays from superhero convention. At least it takes a handful of narrative risks in its third act that make it worthwhile and whilst there are inklings of a more genre-progressive film, the framing of the titular character as an anti-hero is an inspired creative choice. Still, Black Adam functions in setting the foundations of the character with Johnson is clearly game in the role and the film is entertaining, even if you’ll forget it shortly after the credits start to roll. 

• Read the full Black Adam review here

4) Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder has attracted some very sniffy reviews and while it’s far from the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s best, it’s perfectly watchable and there’s enough going on in it for it to be worthwhile. Some have commented it is a redux of Thor: Ragnarok and I would disagree – arguably the reason why the reviews have been lukewarm is because Waititi once again subverts expectations, but with some mis-steps. In many ways, Thor: Love and Thunder feels more akin to Thor and Thor: The Dark World in exploring the relationship between the titular character and Foster. Returning director Taika Waititi injects a fair amount of heart and clearly revels in digging deeper into their romantic banter. 

Chris Hemsworth once again proves his game as the God and successfully balances both the comedic and tragic elements Thor is exposed to. It’s a welcome return for Portman, too, and the pair share a healthy chemistry. Christian Bale is excellent as the villain, Gorr but he’s woefully underused. Waititi’s decision to bathe the character and his surroundings in black-and-white is inspired, affording the vampiric character a Nosferatu quality. 

Outside of Gorr, the film is visually a mixed bag. Some of the visual effects are surprisingly ropey for a film costing $250 million and Marvel has attracted controversy over the treatment of its VFX artists, specifically with this film. Despite its flaws and ramshackle construction, Thor: Love and Thunder gets enough right to make it worthwhile. 

• Read the full Thor: Love and Thunder review here

There is now another step-up in quality…

3) Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

The sequel to Scott Derrickson’s excellent Doctor Strange saw the director replaced by horror maestro Sam Raimi following creative differences early into the project. The result is a well-directed and generally entertaining sequel that takes ambitious risks in its narrative with its characters. From a directorial standpoint, Raimi mostly succeeds with putting his signature stamp on the material such as the exploration of the themes of possession, witchcraft and apparitions. There are a handful of jump scares too, which is novel for a Marvel entry, although they are relatively tame for a mature audience. The film is often visually arresting and the cinematography by John Mathieson is interesting. Like his work on Logan, Mathieson prefers to hold onto a shot than resort to quick cuts and the camera movement is often disorienting and kaleidoscopic. 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ most significant downfall is its ramshackle construction. It is all over the place narratively and not everything sticks. For every bold choice, there is a regressive counterpart and the film isn’t paced particularly well. It comes in at a reasonable 126 minute run time but there is a lot of narrative to get through and some scenes race through character beats whilst others are tiresome.

The film is ultimately a bit of a hodgepodge of a sequel, but an often entertaining ride and Raimi is able to put his personal stamp on the material to a degree. I wish Raimi was allowed even more free rein and leaned harder into the horror angle, as that feels like a natural tone for the material. There will always be a part of me that wonders what Scott Derrickson had in mind, as he also wanted to head down the horror route. Had he been able to deliver the film that he envisaged, it could have been very special.

• Read the full Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review here

Deciding between the final two was particularly difficult, but the runner-up is…

2) The Batman

The Batman is a new rendition of the Caped Crusader by War For The Planet Of The Apes director Matt Reeves, positioned outside of the DCEU canon, and sees a younger Dark Knight (Robert Pattinson) in his second year of crimefighting and Reeves hones in on his detective skills. It is an interesting, if flawed, depiction of the Caped Crusader. Reeves’ take on the character is certainly admirable. It very much owes a debt to the Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder aesthetic in that it is a darker and grungier interpretation. Experiencing Batman as a detective figure is refreshing. The notion of Batman providing narration is also innovative, yet uneven in that it’s not sustained throughout the film. The extended run time of 176 minutes isn’t to the film’s detriment.  It’s always promising to see a director allow a film breathe when it warrants it rather than resorting to quick cuts. 

Pattinson’s portrayal of Batman is expectedly excellent, although his Bruce Wayne needs some work. This is more a choice of the script rather than any wrongdoing by Pattinson as Bruce Wayne doesn’t receive a particularly meaningful arc so he isn’t granted the opportunity. Other highlights of the cast include Colin Farrell, who is almost unrecognisable as Oswald Cobblepot in his early Penguin days, and Jeffrey Wright is effortless as James Gordon. 

Paul Dano’s Riddler is an interesting villain and poses a genuine threat to Batman throughout much of the film but his character arc is severely let down towards the end of the film to the point where he doesn’t pose a threat and his performance borders on being laughable. 

The score by Michael Giacchino is really excellent and he establishes very memorable themes for the characters, although the score doesn’t always fit in with the scenes they are inserted in. The cinematography by Greig Fraser is beautiful, hot on the footsteps of his similarly excellent work on Dune.  

The Batman is a strong interpretation from Reeves and I’m looking forward to see where future instalments could go, although I have some reservations with the teases. However, it’s not quite the masterpiece that some have proclaimed it to be and Reeves is just not as competent a director as Nolan or even Snyder.

• Read the full The Batman review here

And the best comic-book film of 2022 is…

1) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

After Black Panther electrified the superhero film genre, earning seven Oscar nominations and winning three, to say Wakanda Forever has its work cut out for it would be an understatement. Not least by the sudden death of its titular star, Chadwick Boseman, director Ryan Coogler had to effectively chuck out the original script and rewrite it to reframe the narrative on the character’s passing.

The result is a significant improvement over its predecessor and Coogler has delivered an intelligent, sombre and politically charged sequel. Coogler makes a strong choice to fully explore the characters and how they react to T’Challa’s death, very much mirroring how audiences have mourned Boseman in reality, recreating a scenario we all understand. In a refreshing change of pace for Marvel and a trait that has plagued many of its films, Coogler retains the sombre tone throughout and doesn’t resort to cheap and disposable quips.

The performances are uniformly excellent, with Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira the highlights, as well as Tenoch Huerta’s fiersome yet empathetic villain, Namor. You can really empathise with his position and motivation and this makes him one of Marvel’s best villains.

The action sequences are much better this time around and the third act doesn’t succumb to the usual mindless CGI-fest many comic-book films descend into. The film is crisply shot by Autumn Durald Arkapaw and the score by Ludwig Göransson is once again excellent. 

The extended 161 minute run time wasn’t an issue for me and the film kept me engaged throughout. This is much more of a slow-burn, which I appreciated, and Coogler deftly balances a grim tone with the idea of future hope and prosperity for the fictional nation of Wakanda. 

• Read the full Black Panther: Wakanda Forever review here

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

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With Adam McKay’s latest feature, Don’t Look Up, hitting cinemas and also Netflix, now would make a fitting time to rank the director’s work to date. McKay’s career can be divided into two – a string of Will Ferrell-starring comedies and more serious satires. McKay is arguably one of the most influential figures in mainstream comedy behind films such as Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, holding a special place in fans of Will Ferrell’s hearts. McKay has seemingly ended his collaborations with Ferrell after a disagreement and has now moved into satirical pieces. His first, The Big Short, earned considerable acclaim and received Awards attention and he has continued this brand of film with Vice and now Don’t Look Up.

8) Step Brothers

Step Brothers is McKay’s only complete dud and what a shame with the talent involved. The conceit of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as brothers in adult’s bodies is genius but the film is aggressively unfunny and incredibly self-indulgent. It is expectedly juvenile in its humour but with a crass and nasty edge, the characters are nothing but annoying and the film’s tone is even quite mean-spirited at times. There isn’t really a narrative to the film and McKay just permits Ferrell and Reilly to perform their antics for the best part of 100 minutes. Even in lesser comedies, both comedians are capable of at least drawing a handful of laughs but even they can’t save this cynical and ugly film.

There is now a sizeable step in quality…

7) The Big Short  

McKay’s first film without Will Ferrell, The Big Short deals follows stockbrokers who bet that America will collapse into a housing crisis and reap the rewards when it does. The Big Short is a mixed bag – it is very original and has many flashes of sheer brilliance. There are some fantastic performances – Christian Bale is the standout and plays against type, not sharing any scenes with the rest of the main cast. However, on the flipside, the film comes off as incredibly smug and boisterous and it has a big identity crisis tonally. McKay isn’t quite sure what the film wants to be – at times it feels like a knock-off of The Wolf of Wall Street and at other times, he regresses to his comedic roots. This deeply impacts the film as tonally it feels very disjointed and feels more like a collection of scenes (some outstanding) spliced together rather than a feature length film. However, originality is what is to be admired here despite the film not hitting all the right notes. (My full review here)

Another large step up in quality…

6) Don’t Look Up

McKay’s latest, Don’t Look Up is an interesting piece. It is an expectedly biting satire with many satisfyingly uncomfortable comparisons to reality. There aren’t many laughs here due to how close the humour hits to home. That said, Don’t Look Up runs into the exactly the same problems as his previous two films (The Big Short and Vice) with its obnoxious and boisterous tone.  McKay directs with the subtlety of a sledgehammer and the film would have worked better if he had left more to the imagination, perhaps with the aid of a co-writer, who could have reigned him in. The film’s pacing is scattershot throughout but particularly in its first half. Reducing the length by around twenty minutes would have really helped tighten up the pacing as the film doesn’t need to be 140 minutes. There are a range of quality performances here with Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ron Perlman and Melanie Lynskey the highlights, Meryl Streep and Jonah Hill miscast and a very strange performance from Mark Rylance. (My full review here)

5) Vice

Vice is definitely watching alone for the Christian Bale performance and McKay is working with some strong material. Taken on its own merits outside of being an Awards film of its respective year, this is an interesting and unconventional telling of America’s most powerful Vice-President in its history. There’s a lot more to like in Vice compared to The Big Short as it features a tremendous performance by Christian Bale and it tells an interesting story of his rise to power. However, it’s unfortunate that the film runs into pretty much all the same problems that plagued The Big Short as it also is rather disjointed in its pacing and similiarly boisterous in tone. There is no subtlety to McKay’s direction whatsoever and he drives his political message home with a sledgehammer throughout which often crosses the line of being preachy. Whilst there are a number of comedic moments that work, there are also moments where the film is aggressively unfunny.(My review here)

4) The Other Guys

The Other Guys represented a slightly more serious affair than McKay’s previous comedies but this is still a rib-tickling buddy cop action comedy parody that has plenty of heart to boot. Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell make for an excellent duo – Ferrell’s sensible policeman has a hilarious but loveable back story and Wahlberg flexes his comedic chops, arguably for the first time in his career. There is plenty to enjoy with the star-studded cast with strong supporting performances from Eva Mendes and Michael Keaton. Samuel L. Jackson and Dwayne Johnson also make for a fantastic cop duo at the start of the film.

And now for the top three…

3) Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Whilst many would opine that Anchorman is McKay’s finest piece, it only makes it to third position on this list. Anchorman is a hilarious and endlessly quotable piece that put McKay on the map and elevated Will Ferrell’s career as the legendary newsreader Ron Burgundy, many still citing it up there with his best works. There are many standout comedic sequences, especially a scene with a cameo where Jack Black features in where Ferrell’s dog meets an unfortunate fate. Ferrell has great chemistry with the rest of the news team, consisting of Steve Carrell’s Brick, Paul Rudd’s Brian and David Koechner’s Champ who are all granted excellent lines and moments in the spotlight.

2) Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby

McKay and Ferrell’s second effort is another hilarious comedy, with Ferrell playing the titular character, a world-class NASCAR driver and his rivalry with Sacha Baron Cohen’s Jean Girard and the implications that has. Talladega Nights is yet another endlessly quotable comedy with some standout sequences, particularly one where Ricky Bobby is in hospital after a crash and is convinced that he is paralysed. This film also marks the first collaboration between Ferrell and John C. Reilly and both share an excellent chemistry here, bouncing off each other’s lines.

And the best Adam McKay film is…

1) Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

A controversial choice but Anchorman 2 is the rare sequel that betters the original. It is a more cohesive film than its predecessor and is far more intelligent with its humour, asking the philosophical question of what consitutes news and how newsreporting developed in the 1980s. There are many standout sequences here and again, a very sharp script written by McKay and Ferrell with some committed performances and some fun cameos. What elevates an already excellent film is its third act, where Burgundy faces an existential crisis that forces him to discover himself as an individual. Anchorman 2 is by far the best Adam McKay film and one of my favourite comedies of the 2010s.

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

With James Wan’s return to the horror genre, Malignant, hitting cinemas, now would make a fitting time to rank the director’s work to date. Wan is arguably the most influential figure in mainstream horror over the past two decades, launching the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring horror franchises, each offering a distinctive take on the horror genre. Based on his success, Wan has recently tackled bigger budget fare such as Furious 7 and Aquaman. Malignant reflects Wan’s return to the horror genre and has received a polarised reception, some completely dismissing it whereas others sharing an appreciation for its ambition.

Please note that I am yet to see Furious 7, therefore it doesn’t feature in this ranking. 

9) Dead Silence

Wan’s follow-up feature after Saw, Dead Silence is by quite some distance, the worst film of Wan’s career. It was released off the back of many horror films of this type and Wan heavily leans into the camp territory. The narrative isn’t particularly interesting, it lacks a twist and the characters aren’t particularly well written, which are reflected in the stale performances. It’s not an outright disaster as Wan demonstrates he is adept with puppetry and there are a handful of creepy images but that’s about it.

There is now a sizeable step in quality…

8) Aquaman

Aquaman just about works as a film and it is a largely entertaining underwater extravaganza that is consistently visually stunning. I was frequently in awe witnessing the underwater world Wan created and there are many shots in the film that are wonderfully crafted. Even when the characters are on land, the visuals are excellent and a chase scene in a Sicilian setting is choreographed particularly well. As for Aquaman himself, James Wan certainly embraces the more corny aspects of the character but manages to inject a lot of heart and development to make him more likeable which is a relief. This cheesy tone Wan goes for isn’t entirely successful and the film is stuffed with formulaic dialogue and plot points. It’s also overlong at a whopping 143 minutes and although not to as bad an extent as other films, it does succumb to a CGI-fest in its final act. (My full review here)

Another large step up in quality…

7) Death Sentence

Death Sentence gets a bad rap from critics and audiences but I think this film is quite underrated. This is a lean and brutal revenge thriller that isn’t afraid of gore and violence. Kevin Bacon puts in a committed performance as a vigilante father with not much else to lose after his son is brutally murdered by a gang in an initiation ceremony. The villainous gang, headed by Garrett Hedlund, make for a particularly viable threat and Wan crafts some giddy action sequences. Ignore the reviews and give Death Sentence a watch as it is a total blast and has been somewhat buried compared to his other projects.

6) Insidious: Chapter 2

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 some top rate scares here and a very interesting storyline, which Wan prioritises over the scares. It successfully expands the mythology and framework of ‘The Further’ which this series would go on to further develop in its further sequels. Patrick Wilson provides a sinister riff on Jack Nicholson’s Danny Torrance in his performance and ties in with the first film very neatly.

5) The Conjuring 2

The Conjuring 2 isn’t as strong as the first film – it is overlong which severely impacts the pacing and just isn’t quite as interesting a story as the first one was. However, Wan delivers in spades on the scare-front and the film has some truly frightening sequences and there are also some great performances from the cast. Only Wan could have made or been given permission to make this film as 134 minutes for a horror film is uncommonly long and whilst there is a lot of character development (and self-indulgence), 20 minutes could fairly easily have been chopped off and the film would almost be as strong as the original. This is definitely its main problem which is to its detriment. The film bears many similarities to William Friedkin’s The Exorcist and there are a couple of moments where the film leaves a bit of a sour taste as it reiterates many of the clichéd elements of superior horror films. Coming off a near-perfect original, it’s a shame The Conjuring 2 isn’t a knock-out, but that was always going to be impossible and there is still a lot to like in this film. (My full review here)

4) Malignant

Wan’s latest, Malignant is an ambitious risk and is the director’s interpretation of a Giallo horror. The narrative takes unexpected turns. The first act seems fairly generic on the surface, in the vein of Insidious, although Wan does establish an unsettling atmosphere. The film then morphs into a David Fincher-esque serial killer mystery, where it is at its best. A chase scene between the police and the assailant mid-way through is kinetic and heart-pounding. Its last half an hour or so is outrageous with a bonkers plot twist and is a cacophony of gleeful gore, body horror and John Wick-like ultraviolence, with a hint of Sam Raimi camp. As successful as Wan has been in establishing horror franchises, I hope this film remains a standalone piece, as I think it would be impossible for Wan to surprise his audience to this extent twice if he tackles a sequel. (My full review here)

And now for the top three…

3) Insidious

On the face of it, Insidious seems to begin as a somewhat conventional supernatural horror but with a better quality of jump scare. However, Wan is original with the material in terms of where the story goes and the second and third acts are particularly exciting and take some unexpected turns. What’s particularly impressive is Wan’s variation of jump scares and he is not afraid of unleashing horror on the family in broad daylight, which many horror films are guilty of avoiding.  

2) Saw

Wan’s directorial debut is by far and away the best in the franchise and its influence is somewhat diluted now by its cash cow sequels as most of them miss the point of this film to varying degrees. This is a gleefully nasty film, heavily influenced by Se7en but with its own parameters and character mythology. It has a knock-out twist at the end that if you were not aware of it going in, is jaw-dropping on a first viewing. What makes the film scary isn’t the gore and violence but it’s what Wan alludes to that you don’t witness on-screen. This is filmmaking at its most creative – Wan achieved this film on a very limited budget and he makes the most out of every dollar.

And the best James Wan film is…

1) The Conjuring

There was never any contention for the top spot. The Conjuring is by far and away the best film in the series and this film really helped to propel Wan’s career. The film is suitably scary, very atmospheric and has a fascinating narrative. Wan develops the characters superbly, in particular Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson, who are great as The Warren’s. Although the scares aren’t the most original, it’s in the execution which allows this film to really deliver and some of the set pieces in this film are mesmerising. The Conjuring is a film that is even better on rewatches and when we come back to look on the horror genre in the 2010’s, this film is straight up there with its highlights. It is a masterpiece.

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

Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen has a new film out later this week called Riders of Justice, which reunites him with director Anders Thomas Jensen, after collaborating on The Green Butchers, Adam’s Apples and Men and Chicken. Whatever film he is in, be it in his native Denmark or in his international efforts, Mikkelsen consistently puts in a strong performance and his filmography covers a vast array of genres. He has been often typecast for his villainous roles but Mikkelsen is capable and has proved himself in a wider range of characters and performances as one could be led to believe.

Here, I will reveal my top five performances in films that have featured Mikkelsen. These choices are based on both his performance in them and their quality.

5) The Salvation

This was a toss-up between this film and The Three Musketeers, the latter a rather controversial choice but the film is great fun and Mikkelsen makes for a devious Rochefort. The Salvation is a Western which finds Mikkelsen playing Jon, a Danish settler who has emigrated to the United States and his family arrive seven years later. Unfortunately, the family’s reunion is short-lived after an ill-fated stagecoach journey and Mikkelsen finds himself on a path of revenge and destruction against the villainous Delarue, gleefully portrayed by the also underrated Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The Salvation is a lean and mean Western that doesn’t particularly reinvent the genre but largely succeeds on Mikkelsen’s barnstorming performance.

4) Another Round

Currently in cinemas, although you may need to seek it out (and I suggest you do!), Another Round is a high concept tragicomedy from director Thomas Vinterberg. These qualities are shared by three of his close friends who also teach in the same school – sports teacher Tommy (Thomas Bo Larsen), music teacher Peter (Lars Ranthe) and psychology teacher Nikolaj (Magnus Millang). When they meet up to celebrate Nikolaj’s 40th birthday in an up-market restaurant, they get very drunk. One of them brings up the subject of a theory by Norwegian psychologist Finn Skårderud who opined that humanity performs best when they have a blood alcohol content of 0.05%.  Martin decides to put this theory to the test one day whilst teaching and he finds that he has a much closer relationship with his pupils. The rest of the group decide to join in and they all have similarly positive results. They start to record their results in an academic journal that they curate and as the film progresses, they slowly up the alcohol level to explore the effects. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they discover that the benefits start to stagnate the more they drink and they eventually reach the road of self-destruction, with both comedic and devastating consequences. 

Another Round is often infectiously humorous and the relationship between the four teachers is developed very authentically and they have fantastic chemistry. The film is equally depressing at times when we witness the dire consequences alcohol can have on these teachers. The first two thirds of the film is particularly beautifully crafted but it loses its footing in the final third somewhat. The final act negates the message of the first two acts and Vinterberg seems to be unsure in his argument of whether alcohol has a positive or negative influence. Mikkelsen is typically excellent in the role, who portrays Martin with a potent world-weariness and a tinge of sadness. He is an easy character to care for as he learns to live again many times in the film. (Full review here)

3) Polar

A wildly controversial choice as Polar got absolutely trashed by critics in its reviews. A Netflix Original, Polar is a revenge thriller in the vein of John Wick and Taken with Mads Mikkelsen playing the action hero with spectacular results. The film is utterly bonkers and what is impressive is how it manages to balance sheer grittiness and savage ultraviolence with its ridiculous tone. The decision to cast Matt Lucas as the over-the-top villain is a stroke of genius and the result is a film that I really got on board with.

2) Casino Royale

Mikkelsen’s big Hollywood break came in the form of James Bond where he is put against Daniel Craig in his debut film. Casino Royale rejuvenated the franchise after the disastrous Die Another Day, a film that rebooted Bond for the modern day audience with its grittier and darker tone. Mikkelsen plays Le Chiffre, an expert poker player who suffers from a blood-weeping eye. Mikkelsen makes for a nasty villain, who for much of the run time, taunts Bond intellectually. There is a particularly grisly torture sequence late in the film for Le Chiffre to further open up, which makes for satisfyingly uncomfortable viewing.

1) The Hunt 

By far and away Mads Mikkelsen’s career pinnacle, The Hunt is a masterclass of a drama from director Thomas Vinterberg. Mikkelsen plays Lucas, a daycare employee, who is falsely accused of indecently exposing himself to a child. The film follows the community turn against him and Lucas is treated quite terribly, as he tries to prove his innocence. This film packs an emotional wallop and Lucas goes through hell, his world-weary and slitted eyes wearing guilt that he shouldn’t have. If you haven’t seen The Hunt, go and watch it immediately as it is not just Mikkelsen’s best performance or Vinterberg’s best film but it is one of the best films of the 2010s.

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So there we go. What do you think? What did I miss? If you haven’t watched any of these films, I’d highly recommend you do so as they’re all really worthwhile and I’m sure Mikkelsen’s career will continue to be a fascinating one, especially with the untitled Fantastic Beasts sequel where he will replace Johnny Depp as the main antagonist of the series, Grindelwald.

Riders of Justice is released in UK cinemas on Friday 23rd July