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The Return - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
There aren’t any gods or mythical creatures in Uberto Pasolini’s The Return. Perhaps, if there were, the former would be looking down at the island of Ithaca with shame and pity. The Italian director - and the man behind the likes of Still Life and Nowhere Special - gives a decidedly visceral human experience instead.
Homegrown - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Michael Premo’s documentary, Homegrown, opens with Chris building nursery furniture for the birth of his son. He’s wearing a t-shirt with 1776 in a circle of stars. A reference to the Declaration of Independence or Trump’s 1776 report, perhaps. He’s pumped up, as he talks to the camera. “If you think DC was bad …
Nocturnal - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
They say that life imitates art. And that is certainly the premise for writer / director Jin-hwang Kim’s second feature length film, Nocturnal, where a murder plot seems to have been lifted directly from a best-selling book. It’s a confident offering from the Korean director; a gritty neo-noir that isn’t afraid to plunge you into
Homegrown - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Michael Premo’s documentary, Homegrown, opens with Chris building nursery furniture for the birth of his son. He’s wearing a t-shirt with 1776 in a circle of stars. A reference to the Declaration of Independence or Trump’s 1776 report, perhaps. He’s pumped up, as he talks to the camera. “If you think DC was bad …
The Ballad of Wallis Island - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Music has a way of tying us to a time or place. An unforgettable gig, shared with a friend. A first dance at a wedding. A loved one’s personal favourite. School days, holidays and special occasions all have their own soundtrack; a piece of music that brings a smile to your lips or makes your
The Players - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
“You can’t just quit a show because a director made you feel weird. You’ll never get hired again,” fifteen year old Emily is warned by a fellow actor. It’s dubious and harmful advice, to say the least. But it’s typical of the kind of nonchalance that all of the adults in Emily’s life display. She
From Hilde, With Love - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
German cinema has long been coming to terms with the nation’s past. Films like Downfall, Sophie Scholl: The Last Days, The Tin Drum and Das Boot, all offer a unique perspective on life in Germany during World War Two. It’s a confronting position, as a viewer, that often makes you wonder if you could ever
The New Year That Never Came - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
In December 1989, whilst the Western World was gearing up for Christmas celebrations, things looked markedly different in Communist Romania. Ruled with an iron fist by Nicolae Ceaușescu, the country was on the brink of revolution. Overthrowing the much maligned leader resulted in violent bloodshed across a number of towns and cities, with protests in
The End - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
There are certain things that Hollywood simply does not include in its renderings of a post-apocalyptic world. There’s no bright colours; no priceless works of art on the walls; no cosy clothing; no rich food; and certainly no grand pianos. And yet, in Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End, it’s all there. Oh, and it’s a musical.
Two to One - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
With the reunification of Germany, residents of the former GDR (or DDR, as it’s known in its mother tongue) were given less than a week to trade in their currency at a truly unfavourable rate of ‘two to one’. For an economy that was already shattered, with all state industries on the brink of extinction,
The Luckiest Man in America - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Most television viewers in the UK have heard of the Charles Ingram scandal. It is alleged that he and his wife, Diana, conspired to cheat on the quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire? through a series of well-timed coughs. But long before that ever happened, American quiz show, Press Your Luck, had a
Crickets, It's Your Turn - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Content warning - This review refers to scenes depicting sexual assault Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge and Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Women both made audiences sit up and take note. These rape-revenge films - such a grossly titled sub-genre - repositioned the way victims were seen. They had agency. They had anger. They had an arsenal. Writer
Restless - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Warning - This review contains minor spoilers Sleep deprivation is a recognised form of torture. It can cause brain fog, mood swings and even psychosis. It’s important that we get our eight hours. But, at some point in our lives, we’ve probably lived underneath or next door to someone who wears bricks for shoes and
Four Mothers - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
There’s a stereotype about Irish mammies. Domineering. Nobody is good enough for their boys. And, oh their boys! They stay exactly that: boys. Writer / director Darren Thornton plays up to this trope for his second feature length film, Four Mothers, whilst using it as a conduit to exploring deeper topics such as loneliness, self-esteem
I Do Not Come To You By Chance - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
In the early days of the internet, it was something of a right of passage to say that you’d received one of those “Nigerian prince” scam emails. Of course, in the early days of the internet, they did actually work and some poor victims found themselves out of thousands of pounds. Ishaya Bako’s I Do
Spilt Milk - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
The Telly Savalas detective show, Kojak, ran for 117 episodes across 5 series. His ever present lollipop and stylish fedora made him one of the more charming television sleuths. For Bobby O’Brien (Cillian Sullivan), he is a hero. His poster adorns the young boy’s room and he’d much rather be cracking his own cases than
Long Day's Journey Into Night - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer-prize winning four act play, was first published posthumously in 1956. It has since been adapted five times for television and screen, with Broadway and West End adaptations of the play scooping multiple awards at the end of their run. Director Jonathan Kent’s version was actually filmed in
Peacock - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
In a world where everything seems perfectly curated and “just so”, how easy is it to be yourself? In fact, can anyone truly say they are absolutely always being their genuine, authentic self? What happens if you don’t know who you are, underneath it all? These are just some of the questions that writer /
The Surfer - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Lorcan Finnegan’s The Surfer opens with golden sands, crystal clear waters and a tinkly, dreamy percussive score. The heavy colour saturation tinges bathes everything in a hallucinatory yellow glow. This strip of Australian coastline should be heaven. For Nicolas Cage’s titular character, it’s wrapped up with memories good and bad. And it’s about to become
Hill - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Damon Hill became a Formula 1 driver at a time where a luxurious moustache or bushy brows seemed to be a prerequisite. The cars looked like matchboxes on wheels and the danger levels were inordinately higher than they are today. He won the Formula 1 Drivers Championship, with Williams, in 1996 after spending his previous
Tornado - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
It feels unusual for an opening gala of a film festival to be a subdued affair. But writer / director John Maclean’s Tornado definitely errs on the side of quiet … until it doesn’t. It’s a fascinatingly unusual blend of genres (namely the revenge thriller, the Western and the Samurai action film) that revels in
Mexico 86 - Review from Glasgow Film Festival
Reflecting on Guatemalan director Cesar Diaz’s career to date, a strong pattern emerges. In addition to recounting the horrors of the decades long Guatemalan civil war, Diaz wants to tell personal stories. Particularly stories about mothers and sons. This can be seen in 2019’s Our Mothers and 2014’s Territorio liberado. Indeed, his most recent offering,
Glasgow Film Festival 2025 Full Programme Announced
Glasgow Film Festival 2025 (GFF25) has announced the full programme for its 21st edition. Across 12 packed days, Scotland’s largest annual celebration of cinema will showcase 92 World, UK and Scottish premieres from 39 countries. GFF25 will open on Wednesday 26 February with the Gala World premiere of tour-de-force survival thriller Tornado, the hotly anticipated
Wolf Man (2025) - Review
Leigh Whannell has set standards (and expectations) pretty high for his latest take on a classic creature feature. 2020’s The Invisible Man combined a terrifying psychological drama with strong performances and a thoroughly fresh take on the original. This has prompted production company Blumhouse to set about creating its own Dark Universe (not to be
A Real Pain - Review
“It’s fascinating, complex, at times tragic but, ultimately, beautiful,” tour guide James (Will Sharpe) says of Poland’s history with its Jewish communities. It’s a throwaway line designed to engage his heritage tour group as they gear themselves up for time in Warsaw and Lublin. But it could almost describe A Real Pain itself. Written and
Royal Opera House launches Maria Callas tour featuring Angelina Jolie’s costumes from new biopic Maria | .
To celebrate the UK cinema premiere of Maria starring Angelina Jolie on 10 January 2025, the Royal Ballet and Opera will be hosting an exclusive tour honouring Maria Callas’ time in Covent Garden. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes access, the tour will give visitors unprecedented insight into Maria Callas’ life and her onstage career at Covent Garden.
G20 – Preview | .
Prime Video has announced the April 10 premiere date for the upcoming film G20, an action-thriller starring Academy Award winner Viola Davis. Directed by Patricia Riggen, G20 follows U.S. President Danielle Sutton (Davis), who becomes the number one target after the G20 summit comes under siege. After evading capture by the attackers, she must outsmart
Arrow Video Titles For March 2025 | .
Coming to Arrow video this March is an impressive lineup of 4K Blu-rays to suit all tastes. First in March from Arrow Video comes one of the most powerful and unsettling giallo thrillers ever produced, from Lucio Fulci, the godfather of gore - his 1972 masterpiece, Don’t Torture a Duckling. Deemed shocking at the time
Emmanuelle – Preview | .
The new take on Emmanuelle will be in UK and Irish cinemas on 17 January 2025, followed by a digital release on 24 January 2025. It was directed by BAFTA-nominated Audrey Diwan, who previously won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for her groundbreaking film Happening. Noémie Merlant leads the cast and is
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy – Preview | .
Bridget Jones first blasted onto bookshelves in Helen Fielding’s literary phenomenon Bridget Jones’s Diary, which became a global bestseller and a blockbuster film. As a single career woman living in London, Bridget Jones not only introduced the world to her romantic adventures but added “Singletons,” “Smug-Marrieds” and “f---wittage” into the global lexicon. Bridget’s ability to
Nosferatu (2024) - Review
It is over one hundred years since Max Shreck graced the screen in F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu, creating a character so iconic and influential that his influence can still be seen today. No small feat to live up to, then, as Robert Eggers entirely reimagines the German Expressionist classic, giving voices to characters who have never
Arrow Streaming Highlights For January | .
The cult streaming service Arrow is making an early start to 2025. January is packed with all manner of must-watch movies, including an outstanding Sam Raimi thriller with an A-list cast, a beautifully restored William Shatner gem, a stylish Japanese erotic chiller, a martial arts bonanza, a season of out-there action, 5secondfilms’ Michael Rousselet choosing
Top Ten Films of 2024 – John’s Picks | .
2024 didn't feel like a major year in terms of cinema releases. There is still a recovery going on two years after the pandemic loosened its grip on the ability to go out and see films but, with the bonus of a writer and actors strike last year, a member of high profile films were
Top 10 Films of 2024 - Mary's Picks
If you've listened to the Moviescramble podcast (and if you haven't, please make that your New Year's Resolution for 2025), you'll know that I frequently declare that I have seen no films. Odd, I know, for someone who spends a lot of time reviewing and chatting about films. But, true to form, I've not seen
Six of the Best: Not Quite Christmas
We can debate all day as to whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie (it is, they're at a work Christmas party, for crying out loud!) but that has already been done to death. While we're at it, technically neither Gremlins or It's A Wonderful Life have Santa as central to their plot but we seem to
Glasgow Film Festival 2025 Announces Country Focus, Special Events and UK Wide Screenings
The countdown is officially on to Glasgow Film Festival 2025. Your local friendly Moviescramble team will be there from February 26 until March 9, bringing you as many reviews as we can. So, what can cinema goers look forward to? Country Focus Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) has announced that its 2025 Country Focus will be