Hotel Artemis

Hotel Artemis focuses on the exploits and clientele of an exclusive criminal hospital. The story centres around one night at the hotel, focusing on multiple characters such as bank robber Sherman, (Sterling K Brown), assassin Nice, (Sofia Boutella), as well as the Nurse, (Jodie Foster); all set to the backdrop of a dystopian riot. The script written by Drew Pearce, (who also directs), is fantastic giving each character enough screen-time to make you care about them, without becoming too focused on any one character. All these beautifully interwoven subplots work to great effect helping to flesh out the world of the film, as well as the characters within it. An example of this is the Nurse subplot, which could have been a needless diversion, but instead becomes the context by which the rest of the film is derived. Furthermore, the performances here are also superb, especially Charlie Day, who upon first hearing of his casting I thought, (incorrectly,) was just going to be the comic relief. The action sequences are all exquisite, with the final hallway fight choreography being especially noteworthy; being helped greatly by the tremendous physicality that Boutella brings to the role. My only complaint is that Jeff Goldblum, (The Wolf King), is used very sparingly, in many ways he is used as little more than a plot device. However, this complaint is lessened by the fact he gives a phenomenal performance, having some of the best lines and the right amount of menace. This film could have just been little more than an expanded version of the Continental from John Wick. However, it is instead a strong and very original action film, with just the right amount of humour and heart. I would highly recommend Hotel Artemis and I hope to hear more from it in the future.
4/5
Reviewed by Luke

The Secret of Marrowbone

The Secret of Marrowbone follows the lives of a family who move to America to escape their past; to say more would be to ruin the film. Before I begin this review, I just want to say that this film has been mis-marketed in the worst way, The Secret of Marrowbone has far more in common with thrillers and dramas then it does anything in the horror genre. Though that is not to say that there aren’t horror elements in the film, there are, and they work incredibly well, just that’s not it’s defining genre. The film has an eerie atmosphere almost from the get-go, with it being strikingly clear something isn’t right. The film has a first act time jump which could have been a little contrived but, is employed cleverly to build the mystery. The script is very solid, with the characters being distinct and well used. The script does have issues though, firstly due to the heavy focus on Jack, (George MacKay), his siblings Billy, (Charlie Heaton), Jane, (Mia Goth) and Sam, (Matthew Stagg), are all quite underused. This is also true of the female lead, Allie, (Anya Taylor- Joy) however, despite this underutilisation all the cast give great performances; especially Taylor- Joy. The other issue is the end twist, which comes across as overly complicated and feels as though it has been designed to leave you somewhat scratching your head. Despite this, the film is fantastic: as it bucks genre trends constantly changing and being anything other than predictable. Where this film could have been a standard haunted house tale, it is instead so much more. The themes and ideas that this film explores are incredibly deep and harrowing, to name but a few mental illnesses, family and the idea of the evil going on unseen around us all play a part. The end reveals along with Jack’s emotional arc, end the film on a very satisfying note. To conclude, this was not the film I was expecting to see, it both shocked and thrilled me in equal measure. This is a very deep thoughtful film, and one that I think needs to be seen; despite its flaws.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke.

Skyscraper

Do you like Die Hard? Do you like Assault on Precinct 13? Skyscraper is like those just without the humour, brain or soul. Skyscraper is a film about a group of criminals who start a fire in a Skyscraper, so they can steal back a list of names, that threatens to expose their crime syndicate; and of course, Will Sawyer, (Dwayne Johnson), and his family gets caught in the thick of it. Does that sound ridiculous to you? Well, it should because Skyscraper is without a doubt the dumbest film of 2018. Things start off badly and get worse, the first act is a mess of contrived overplayed backstory, and hollow characters. Chief among these is Ben, (Pablo Schreiber), who is not even a character, more a poorly disguised plot device; being laughably underused then killed off. Then, the criminals decide to frame Sawyer, for no real reason, this combined with the fact that they have set the entire Skyscraper on fire to try and steal a USB drive, leaves you groaning and asking why. Those are just a few examples of the stupidest and perhaps even the worst script of 2018. Then you have the blatant product placement throughout the film which is downright offensive, think last years Power Rangers was product placement too far, well let me tell you this is a worse example. The characters, for the most part, are shallow, underdeveloped and ultimately frustrating. Characters such as Sarah Sawyer, (Neve Campbell), make decisions no one else would make in that situation, she leaves the Skyscraper with her son with no mention, not even one, about her daughter. However, the films one positive comes from its leads, Johnson and Campbell both give great performances, though the latter is given very little to work with, they also both have a great deal of chemistry together. Johnson is playing Johnson, just like always, but that isn’t a bad thing at least not if you like The Rocks usual work, he sells the right amount of emotion to make the moments feel more than they should do, considering the poor writing. There are other positives too such as some impressive visual effects sequences, the mirror sequences in the pearl itself look beautiful. However, this is offset by some very lacking choreography at times, such as the fight sequence that happens in the back of a police car between Sarah and Xia, (Hannah Quinlivan), in which the action is barely even visible. Overall, this film feels incredibly dated, if it had come out in the 1990’s or early 2000’s it would be right at home, but in 2018 with many other better blockbusters coming out, it comes across as soulless and hollow. Skyscraper chooses spectacle over everything else, and it loses for it. The script issues, laughably weak characters, rip off nature and a whole host of other issues stop me from being able to recommend this one.
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke

Uncle Drew

Uncle Drew is a comedy film about Basketball. The main plot focuses on a former player turned coach Dax, (Lil Rey Howery) as he is forced to put together a new team in hopes of winning the Rucker. Said new team consists of Uncle Drew, (Kyrie Irving), Big Fella, (Shaquille O’ Neal), Preacher, (Chris Webber) along with a lot of other famous faces; disguised by old makeup. For the most part, the cast all give good, if rather cliched, performances. The cast is not given much to work with in terms of the script with it being every sports trope in the book cobbled together, but they still manage to inject some much-needed heart into it. The film does have a lot of famous NBA player cameos, so if you are into your Basketball these should keep you suitably entertained. These cameos don’t feel tacked on, as they easily could have done, rather it seems they are used to give the Basketball community a celebration of the game they love so much. If you can view this film, for more than just what it’s limited story presents, and instead as a love letter to Basketball then you will enjoy it far more. The main antagonist of the film is, Dax’s long-time rival Mookie, (Nick Kroll), who is an easily hateable villain. Howery and Irving are the standout performances of the film. Howery brings a certain hopeless likeability to the role, as he perfectly en-captures the underdog spirit. Whilst Irving plays Drew as not only, slick, suave and ultimately cool but, also with a world-weariness formed by a lifetime of bad decisions, which makes his character quite a nice opposite for Dax. All those positives being said the script is overall very shallow and that isn’t something the film can get away from, the characters, as likeable as some of them are, ultimately amount to little more than caricatures of genre archetypes. Furthermore, the comedy didn’t work, there were moments where I felt myself smiling and maybe one or two laughs, but overall the comedy of the film passed me by and left me cold. In addition, there are scenes in the film that feel strangely dated, such as a dance-off in the films second act, that feels like it belongs to a different decade of cinema. Whether this is a deliberate choice to play off the fact that they are, “old school”, or not, it still feels out of place. The film’s soundtrack is impressive, managing to bridge generations, with something for everyone to like. However, ultimately all these positives are just shiny coats of paint on an otherwise played out, dated and generic sports comedy. Maybe wait until this one comes out on Netflix.
2/5
Reviewed by Luke

Adrift

Adrift tells the true story of the disastrous voyage of Tami Oldham, (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp, (Sam Claflin). The main plot is split into two narrative threats, the first is the story of how they met all the way up to the disaster itself. The second is everything thereafter. With the former plot thread always being an annoyance. The survival element is arguably the film’s strongest, being helped by a phenomenal performance from Woodley; who really sells the hopelessness of the situation. Claflin, on the other hand, is strongest in the pre-disaster storyline, with him barely being used thereafter. However, his lack of real usage is all to set up a third act plot twist. This the films greatest flaw. The romance and the survival plots feel like they are building towards something, the twist ruins all of that. All the setup is dashed, all the audience investment is washed away. It is the kind of twist that makes you say, “wait, what”, and not in a good way. It does strike an emotional blow, but at a cost to the film itself. The film outstays it’s welcome during the pre-disaster plotline. However, the post-disaster storyline is tense and keeps you guessing as to whether they are going to die or be saved. Due to the fantastic character work, you care deeply about the outcome; that is why the third act bait and switch is so disappointing. On a more positive note, the cinematography is stunning with the views of the ocean and the waves being in equal measure both beautiful and terrifying.

To conclude the film has moments of greatness, however, the end twist seems determined to spit on all those positives and serves to cheapen the overall experience.

3/5

Reviewed by Luke

Sicario 2 Soldado

Sicario 2 Soldado, follows the efforts of Matt Graver, (Josh Brolin) and Alejandro, (Benicio del Toro) in their war with the Mexican Cartels. The plot focuses on Washington’s renewed effort to wipe out the Cartels, as such, they bring in Graver and Alejandro. What follows is 122 minutes of pure adrenaline and suspense, which never relents, it starts off with 2 suicide bombings and it carries on from there. As such the tone of the film is jet black, with all the characters being wrapped in shades of grey. For anyone worried that the acting wouldn’t be as strong because Emily Blunt didn’t return, fear not! Brolin’s Graves is menacing and chews up every piece of scenery he gets. Furthermore, del Toro’s Alejandro is fantastic, with him being paired with a cartel bosses daughter for most of the film. Said Cartel boss’s daughter is played to perfection by Isabela Moner, as we see her go on an emotional journey after her kidnapping. The surrogate parent angle, that del Toro’s character is given is oddly enthralling throughout. However, the acting is let down by Elijah Rodriguez’s character of Miguel. Said character is terrible as he only manages to have one facial expression for the entire film, which when compared him to Moner, the other child actor of the film; you see how flawed his performance is. Sicario 2 wastes minutes by cutting away from the main plot to focus on Miguel’s side story, which is boring. Overall the film feels very timely, with current events being what they are, and I truly believe that this adds an extra dimension to the film. Moreover, this film carries on the impressive action sequences of the first film, with each sequence being captured with ruthless efficiency, showing all the horrid splendour. On that note, this film’s gore is used to show how gritty the cartel world is and how in it youth and innocence are lost. Finally, the score for the film is also incredibly well used, being memorable and really wrenching up the suspense. Overall this is an amazing action thriller, and it is one anyone can enjoy. To conclude this may be one of the best sequels of 2018.

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Tag

Spoilers ahead

Tag follows a group of friends who have been playing the game for most of their lives, strangely enough, it is also based on a true story. By and large, this film is a by the numbers comedy film, not being great, but not being bad either. Tag has quite a lot of unforeseen surprises in it, that I can guarantee you won’t see coming. Such as some well-choreographed action scenes, that give the film an over the top air, to an end twist that packs a strong emotional blow. The biggest problem this film has is that it doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, as the three previously mentioned elements do work individually, but not as a larger film. Furthermore, there are several characters and subplots that feel tacked on, to pad out the film’s runtime. An example of this would be the love triangle between, Chilli, (Jake Johnson) Callahan, (Jon Hamm) and Cheryl Deakins, (Rashida Jones). Said love triangle really goes nowhere and doesn’t add much to any of the characters involved. The same could be said for Jerry’s alcoholism, and incredibly obsessive nature when it comes to tag, these plot threads are written in but are never explored in any depth. Overall, the plot is, (with the before mentioned twist being the exception), very familiar, and lacks any kind of uniqueness. The end twist of Hoagie, (Ed Helms), having cancer is quite powerful. Yes, it has been done before, but I feel it is used here to add some much-needed perspective to each of the characters, showing them how Tag isn’t as important as they think it is. The humour for me fell flat. That said, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress and Isla Fisher, have the best lines with the latter by far being the funniest character. Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner, (Jerry), felt strangely miscast as they didn’t act as though they were in a comedy film instead taking it all a little too seriously; with that being especially true in Renner’s case. To add to a previous point, this film feels like it has an identity crisis, as there are times when it’s a zany over the top comedy, and then there are moments where it tries to have character drama, and I don’t believe the two are balanced well. Something else I want to draw attention to is Ed Helm’s performance. As far as leading characters go Helms’ Hoagie is one of the least memorable of recent memory, the other characters, (yes even Hamm and Renner), have something that makes them memorable, but not Helms; he is just playing the same character you’ve seen in 50 other Ed Helms’ films. To conclude there are good elements about this film, the end twist is well used and striking, and the action scene choreography is oddly well done, but overall Tag is a film that seems to be not quite sure what it is, with it trying to put in as many different elements as it can; and as a result, it loses focus.

1.5/5

Reviewed by Luke.

Ocean’s 8

Spoiler ahead!

Ocean’s 8 is the latest film in the series which follows Debbie Ocean, (Sandra Bullock), Danny’s Ocean’s sister. Ocean’s 8 does fall short of Soderbergh’s trilogy, this is most noticeably shown when you look at the films’ screenplays. Soderbergh’s previous films had very intricate heist sequences with everything fitting together elegantly, whereas 8 is a series of events that don’t make sense that come together in a way that leaves you saying, “wait what?”. Furthermore, there are twists that are laughably stupid such as, Anne Hathaway’s Daphne Kluger joining the team. What could have been good character development is instead boiled down to her joining the team because she’s lonely. That is indicative of the fact that the film is poorly written. The characters outside of Debbie are not given much in the way of motivation, feeling one dimensional and shallow. This is best shown through 9 ball, (Rihanna), with it serving to highlight her lack of acting ability and makes her character feel out of place. However, there are also positives. All the cast give good performances, with each actress adding an air of believability to their characters, making them likeable. The two best performances are from Anne Hathaway and a surprisingly funny third act turn by James Corden. Hathaway has all the funniest lines. Whereas Corden excels because he isn’t playing his usual over the top character, instead he plays it mostly straight, to a humour degree.

To conclude if you can ignore the numerous plot holes this is a good film; it is dumb fun and a thrilling ride to boot. Overall this is a good start to a possible new series.

3/5

Hereditary

Hereditary focuses on the after-effects of a death in the family, in this case, the Grandmother; portraying themes of family and life after death. Toni Collette who stars as Annie gives a powerhouse performance here. With Annie also having incredibly nuanced dialogue that makes you question whether the supernatural happenings are real, or if it is simply her deeply broken mind. Another fantastic performance is by Alex Wolff who is a scene stealer, managing to capture a true and unrelenting sense of fear and helplessness. The cinematography is gorgeous, with every shot looking almost handcrafted, one such example is the dollhouse scenes with the cut between the zoom on the dollhouse, and then the corresponding scene in the actual house, working to great effect. What’s more the minimalised sound design really helps to build a sense of tension and unease, as the audience is straining to hear any sound to figure out where the scare is coming from. Hereditary is the tensest film you will watch this year, with a lot of truly harrowing scenes and unexpected twists; keeping you near perpetually on the edge of your seat. The film does use the odd jump scare here and there, but in general it gets its scares from the unexpected events and even from dialogue. The final 20 minutes are truly the scariest part of the film because the other acts of the film so excellently set them up. Hereditary is a master class in storytelling with each shot revealing something regarding the film’s many mysteries. My only negative is some of the plot points in the films first act feel a little heavy-handed and unrealistic, clearly written in to foreshadow and set up later events.
Overall, this is a must-see for horror fans.
4.5/5

Jurassic World 2

Jurassic World 2 is the latest film in the Jurassic Park Universe; following on months after the events of the 2015 film. The Question that I will hopefully answer with my review is, does the world need a Jurassic Park film every few years, or should the franchise be made extinct? The main plot of the film follows Owen Grady, (Chris Pratt) and Claire Dearing, (Bryce Dallas Howard) as they try and save the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar, from a potentially species destroying volcano. The film does try and have an intelligent conversation about whether they should try and protect the dinosaurs or let the volcano wipe them out: thereby restoring the natural order of things. This conversation is shown during a Senate hearing and is the only appearance of Jeff Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcom, despite the marketing suggesting that he had a bigger presence. Conversely to this intelligent pretence, the other 95% of the film is frustratingly dumb. In term of the screenplay, characters make decisions that make no sense, such as during a chase scene where the Indo-Raptor, (the film’s new hybrid dinosaur), is chasing a little girl down a corridor. During this sequence instead of chasing the girl into her room, which is what you would expect, the Indo-Raptor instead decides to climb up on to the roof and howl at the moon, and you are left thinking, “What? Why has it done that?”. Only being made odder when the Indo-Rex then lowers itself off the roof and unlock the girl’s bedroom window, with its ability to this never being established. This is not the only plot point that is just glossed over, the third act twist revolves around said little girl, Masie, (Isabella Sermon), having been a product of the technology that brought the dinosaurs back from the dead, but again no mention is given to this. What’s more, the film often sets up its own rules only to break them moments later for no reason, with the whole thing reeking of bad writing. Said, poor writing is also shown in the dialogue which is at best inoffensive, but at worst downright awful; with a few of my favourite examples being something like, “They’re alive just like me”, and “Welcome to Jurassic World. Moreover, the film tries to have emotional stakes, such as Owen and Blue’s relationship, Blue being the Raptor he raised, but it fails at even that. In addition, the film’s villains are needless and weakly written, with one just being a guy who likes to rip out dinosaur’s teeth, for no explained reason, and the other being Rafe Spall’s Eli Mills, who does his terrible actions for the money alone. However, it isn’t all bad news as there are some pros as well, such as Owen and Claire’s relationship which is believable, and the two have great chemistry. Also, the new characters of Franklin Webb, (Justice Smith) and Dr. Zia Rodriguez, (Daniella Pineda), are both likeable and welcome additions to the cast, they also have great banter together which makes them very easy to watch. Additionally, though the film doesn’t do its horror inspired scenes well, as mentioned before, it does deserve some praise for trying something new: because a lot of this film is just painfully by the number. Finally, the visual effects on the dinosaurs are all fantastic, as you would expect, with there being no noticeably bad CGI. To conclude, this film does do a few things right, but these are severely outweighed by everything else. Being boring and a real slog to get through at times, and perhaps worst of all, the film does nothing to make its spectacle of dinosaurs fighting interesting, leaving you with one lacklustre confrontation after another. Let’s hope this franchise goes extinct!
1.5/5
Reviewed by Luke