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My Top 20 Favourite Films of 2021

A little later than I had hoped this year, but here's the list. As usual I've included trailers in case you're tempted. 20) NO SUDDEN MOVE (Dir. Steven Soderbergh) Over the course of the last 32 years, Steven Soderbergh has made over 30 films across a wide variety of genres, but between OUT OF SIGHT (1998), THE LIMEY (1999) and most recently LOGAN LUCKY (2017) he has shown a particular affinity for pulpy crime noir. While NO SUDDEN MOVE doesn't quite reach the heights of those earlier films, its not for lack of trying. The cast, including most notably Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta and Bill Duke, are all as excellent as you'd expect and bounce off of each other wonderfully. The film slightly loses its way in the middle, but a surprise cameo late in the film does help to bring everything together. Not one of Soderbergh's best but still a great time. Trailer:  https://youtu.be/7GRDLX3a-IE 19) CENSOR (Dir. Prano Bailey-Bond...
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Halloween Recommendations: Horror from the 2010's

Halloween is almost upon us so I thought I'd chime in with some horror movie recommendations to satisfy your cravings. I've specifically gone with films from the 2010's, partially to prove that there is still great horror being made but mostly to irritate people by identifying the decade as lasting from 2011 to 2020 (😛 ). I've avoided some of the more well known entries of recent years such as A QUIET PLACE. HEREDITARY, MIDSOMMAR, GET OUT, and US and instead I've gone for some (comparatively) lesser known films that I personally really enjoy.  On with the show.... YOU'RE NEXT (2011) (Dir: Adam Wingard) This film was so widely praised in horror circles upon its release that I've never been quite sure how well known it is among more casual audiences. Originally inspired by a wave of home-invasion movies in the mid-2000s (with particular debt owed to 2008's THE STRANGERS), Wingard's film stands out of the pack through its how it subverts expectations. ...
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Why I Love... GODZILLA!

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Introduction (wherein I try to justify my poor life choices) Now, lockdown has been tough on everyone and I imagine we've all had to develop our own coping mechanisms to stay sane. I apparently decided to abandon the prospect of sanity and watched 36 Godzilla films over the course of two weeks instead. Now as you might imagine, there's very little else rattling around my brain other than everyone's favourite kaiju (anyone who says they prefer Gamera is just being a hipster) so to try and correct that inbalance I'm endeavouring to put my thoughts on the big guy together and foister them upon anyone foolish enough to read this blog.  So without further delay, let's get on with the show. "The Show" Now to be clear, when I say I love Godzilla, I'm not just talking about the character or a few of the movies, I'm talking about as a concept. I'll get a little more into the history of the franchise later on but the fact that a one off film that sports ...
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My (Top 25) Favourite Films of 2020

2020 has been an awful experience for everyone and while cinemas have been closed for most of the year, there have still been some great films released that you might have missed. With that in mind, here are my favourite films of the year. These are based more on personal taste than objective, critical worth but I highly recommend them all and I've thrown in trailers so you can make your own minds up. Enjoy. *** Some of the entries on this list appeared on my previous blog entry so I've copied some of the text from there. 25) JUNGLELAND (Dir. Max Winkler) I've been a big fan of Jack O'Connell's since his debut on SKINS back in 2009 and this film is probably the best showcase for his talents since 2013's STARRED UP. The mix of toughness and vulnerability he brings to this low budget crime thriller is a large part of what makes it work. Jessica Barden and Charlie Hunham provide strong support (even with Hunham's wandering accent) but this really is O'Conne...
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