Want to know my top film of the year is probably going to be this year? THIS MOVIE. I am in love with the Lego Batman movie, it takes satire to a whole new level but also stands on its own as the best Batman movie since The Dark Knight.

Here is a brief plot for you! After telling The Joker that he means nothing to him (Batman likes to fight around) the clown prince of crime decides to launch a fiendish plan to once and for all prove to Batman that he is nothing without the Joker to fight. Meanwhile Batman unwittingly adopts an orphan boy called Dick while he wasn't paying attention (spending his attention on the new police commissioner Barbara Gordon) and falls into the middle of The Jokers masterplan to send the villain to the phantom zone, which holds the worst evils of the world, including British Robots, Godzilla and Voldermort. Unleashing the beasts into the real world Joker attacks Gotham, and it is down to Batman, Robin and his new friends to save the world again.

There is so much to love about this film, The constant throw backs to classic Batman shows and movies (there is a very funny shark repellent joke in the earlier part of the film), the dig at Marvel and even a dig at the Suicide Squad movie. This film isn't afraid to poke fun at itself and this is a good thing, and good on Warner Brothers for letting it fly. I personally really like the Lego movies and games so this is perfect for me, we get the same cocky, arrogant Batman we got in The Lego Movie but he wants to make the world a better place, so he had to look at himself and make a change....hooo. The voice acting was spot on, the screenwriting is perfect and the music is fun, as you would expect from Lego.

This is halarious fun for all the family, there is great animation for younger viewers but there are so many references for the older fan too. There is NOTHING I can say bad about this film and i urge you all to buy it now.  

‘Shut In’ is a drama/horror starring Naomi Watts and Charlie Heaton whom everyone is guaranteed to recognise from ‘Stranger Things’; this will probably get your hopes up for the film, but you shouldn’t let your expectations get too high just yet. The story revolves around Watts’ character Mary, a child psychologist who is also responsible for taking care of her paralysed step-son after he was in a car crash that killed her husband. She begins to experience nightmares and parasomnia after one of her patients goes missing.

Firstly, although the plot of the film doesn’t have much to offer until the 40-minute mark – up until this point it’s mostly Naomi Watts drinking tea and has the occasional jump scare – the performances are good. Watts easily plays a caring character and is easy to sympathise with, and Heaton gives off a creepy vibe that the film benefitted from since it doesn’t provide much tension in its other aspects. Film fans may also appreciate references to ‘The Shining’, and the Hitchcockian turn that the story eventually takes.

There’s one huge problem with this film, which is what really lets it down beyond anything else – it feels incredibly empty in terms of plot. It seems less like it’s using a slow pace to create tension, but rather because the writer ran out of ideas to fill It out. As I previously mentioned, not much happens until 40 minutes in, and this is an hour and a half film. Not only that, but the twist is incredibly predictable to the extent where you can guess what will happen after watching it for about 15 minutes. The drama side of the film is more interesting than the horror, and could have had the potential to become a good commentary on care-giving if it had gone in that direction instead.

​Overall, this is a well-made film on the surface but the plot is seriously lacking. The performances and the drama at least make it watchable, but it’s probably the kind of thing you’d just have playing in the background while you’re checking your social media.  

Matthew McConaughey loves GOOOOOOOLD, not in a Goldmember way but in a boring 'inspired by true events' bull crap kind of way. 

So this is a very short synposis for a very short review as i'm not wanting to give this film much time. ​Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.

It has been very long time where a film as all out bored me into submisson. I'm not sure is it is because of the UK heat or the fact that i'm feeling under the weather and i'm just not into the film as I should have been but I really struggled to keep my mind of the film. The acting was mildly okay, McConauhey was the obvious stand out here with his overall look being amazingly different than his usual.

Overall there isn't much else I can say about this one. The story didn't hold my attention and I'm getting a little bored of the money hungry stories of current cinema. This is the problem with film! THE STORY, the most important thing in a film like this and this is all I can say about this film, The story was boring, the acting was fine but I really wouldn't waste to much of your time of this one.

Sightseers’ writer and star Alice Lowe has made even more work for herself in her feature film directorial debut ‘Prevenge’, in which she plays widowed and heavily pregnant Ruth who is on a mission to murder everyone involved with her husband’s death before she gives birth. Much like ‘Sightseers’, it involves some dark comedy which contrasts well with the heaviness and tragedy of her character’s situation. Furthermore, it’s refreshing to see a character, especially a woman, who isn’t necessarily likeable or sympathetic all the time – as well as portraying the unpleasant realities of pregnancy that is often ignored or sugar-coated. It’s hard not to have respect for Lowe after she shot the film whilst in the late stages of pregnancy, and initially creating the project because she wasn’t being offered roles due to her condition. This is a subject she does deal with in one scene, but also portrays the various discriminatory treatment pregnant women may face throughout the film.

Ruth is an interesting, delusional character and it’s compelling to see the steps she takes. It’s easy as the viewer to see how the reasoning behind her actions is hypocritical – she labels her victims as selfish for what they did when she is displaying the exact same characteristics through her own decisions, which she convinces herself aren’t her own. She lacks self-awareness until the end, which is ultimately overridden by her instability and adds to the tragedy of Ruth’s character. She also does a good job making you feel uneasy, and the lead-ups to the murders are creative and are where most of the humour comes from.

​Overall, this is a fairly simple plot but its original twist on the revenge genre keeps it fresh and interesting despite being slow-paced at times. The slow pace works in the film’s favour as it reveals Ruth’s husband’s death piece by piece. Most importantly, Lowe’s unique and dark sense of humour shines through and is enough reason to watch it beyond the novel premise. This is a well-made film that doesn’t let its low budget hold it back.

Ahh the second chapter of a great film, many have tried to make a good one and many have failed. John Wick Chapter 2, while not as good throughout as the first film, is one of the rare cases where it is actually not too bad a film.

John Wick Chapter 2 follows on from the events of the first film (and this will contain spoilers for the first film) which saw John Wick go on a revenge spree to take out the son of a mob boss who broke into his house, killed his dog and stole his car. The film starts off with the uncle of the young man being the next victim on Wick's hitlist as he aims to get his car back, and this would have be a great plot line for the film but then we get a new story about debts that need to be paid.

John is yet again sent into the world of shadows and assassinations when the man who helped get him out of the life calls in his one favor in the for of a medallion. After telling him no, and getting his house totaled for his troubles, John reluctantly agrees to assassinate a head mob leader, an assassination which gets him on a assassination hitlist. Enter some violent fight scenes and a very funny pencil scene hinted at from the first film, and a highly entertaining final half which I really would love to see.

You see this is the problem with John Wick 2, it ends on a great high but the middle of the film is a little ropy. I loved the opening moments of the film when he goes to get his car back, I love the characters of the hotel however the middle of the film didn't fill me with the same excitement of the first film.

This doesn't mean in anyway that John Wick 2 was bad, no far from it, I found the fight scenes less sloppy than the first film and think Reeves has really settled in the role as wick this time round. I am also looking forward to seeing the (at this time) rumored TV series The Continental and seeing what the world of assassins holds outside of the John Wick character.

This is a fun action romp that doesn't rely heavily of acting chops  to make it a good film. If you want killing with a pencil and over the top fight scenes this is your film.

DC has finally gained some momentum in the superhero race this month with the first big screen heroine film to come out of either studios. Wonder Woman is set to be the Iron Man of the DCU, and for good reason.

The film follows the tale of Diana, princess of the Amazons and raised on a sheltered island paradise of only amazonian women. When an American pilot crashes on their beach he tells of a massive conflict raging in the outside world. This leads Diana to leave her home in an effort to safe the world and take on the evil god of war Aries.

There is so much right with this movie and to be honest very little wrong. Lets start with the slight wrongs, which is mostly the run time. It did feel like the film could of shaved some time of some scenes, at times it felt like alot of filler which could easier take you out of the story. I wasn't convinced with the  casting of Aries either. He looked a bit too old to be playing the part of the War God which made the film fight seem laughable at points.

Other than the above though the films was a total hit. Gal Gadot is the absolute spot on look for Diana, She looks like a god damn superhero and brings the kick arse factor, something you don't really get from the trailers as a whole. Chris Pine was...well Chris Pine, he is one of those actors who you only see as the actor, a little like Will Smith or Tom Cruise. This is in no way a criticism on the guys acting skill, he is pretty good in this film, but it would be nice to see him be transformed a little more acting wise.

The World War 1 setting was very fitting for the overall tone of the film, the soundtrack was heavy hitting and visually the set pieces are breathtakingly good. As stated at the top of the review, this will do for DC what the Iron Man film did for the MCU, it fixes the mistakes made in Batman V Superman and has really got me excited for the Justice League films later this year. Is this my favourite superhero film of all time? No, but it is up there in my top 10 of superhero films and is the right direction for the DCU as a whole.

“In 1929, an expedition of university botanists enter an uncharted forest where they discover, and must escape an ancient organism….”

There’s something out there…and it ain’t no man… Truth is there’s nothing out there, and that’s the beauty of Flora. A lot of the terror is in the minds of the characters as they gradually discover their situation get weirder and worse as the expedition gets further from civilisation into primeval, uncharted forest.

Essentially, this is a killer plant film, but not the rampaging Triffids or the hyper intelligence of The Ruins type of ferocious flora we’re used to. This is a more microscopic level of beastie, that is more Cabin Fever that killer vines. Wherein lies the beauty. Flora is a slow-burn horror, that involves you with the characters and their struggle to survive, instead of having to rely on jump scares and rubber monsters.

Setting the film in 1929 adds a new dimension to proceedings, as the group can’t rely on today’s conveniences such as GPS, making their situation far more fraught if he had been set in modern times. They are alone. No one is coming for them and it appears if that the surrounding forest itself is trying to kill them all. One scene, reminiscent of the blood test in The Thing is particularly horrifying, as our intrepid explorers endeavour to discover what fruits of the forest are edible…and which are not.

Despite its low budget, Flora is a very affective chiller, making the best of the beautiful surroundings, and fantastic wardrobe and props giving it a real sense of time and authenticity. Director Vukovic shots the landscapes fantastically, often drawing away from the characters and showing them truly alone in the wilderness, perhaps in homage to Walter Hill’s Southern Comfort which follows a similar plot of humans against an unseen enemy.

The ensemble cast is fantastic, standouts including the enigmatic Dan Lin, and the stunning Teresa Marie Doran who is one to watch in the future.
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A well-made chiller thriller which feels both familiar and wholly original at the same time.

The basic plot of ‘The Autopsy of Jane Doe’ is fairly evident from the title. It makes it sound so simple, and the simplicity of the story works in the film’s favour – in the beginning, at least. Two coroners, who are also father and son, are brought an unidentified body in an urgent attempt to solve the mystery surrounding her death. It is an interesting concept to bring supernatural horror into the logical and scientific setting of a morgue, as well as to restrict the number of settings and characters of the film. It primarily takes place in the morgue, which does give it a sense of claustrophobia. I couldn’t help but think about how it would have made a brilliant bottle episode – ‘Inside No.9’ style – especially considering the ridiculousness of the ending and the explanations which I imagine will bother some viewers as it does disrupt the initial simplicity of the story and takes it to some weird places, but it is also enjoyable at the same time.

This film is guilty of the occasional jump scare and it is incredibly obvious when they’re about to happen, but it doesn’t go overboard. Besides, this is a forgivable offence considering the tension it manages to build particularly in the beginning of the film. The best scares don’t involve loud noises or violence, but the camera’s fixation on Jane Doe’s face; her eyes are grey and she just stares at you, with what looks like a slightly angry expression that got under my skin. The film could have done with a longer third act, because while the fast pace is relieving after a slow, tension-filled beginning, the ending feels a little rushed. On the other hand, I do appreciate the bleak outcome of the film and really enjoyed it overall.

​This is a very interesting film that I enjoyed despite the occasional jump scare. It’s well-made and has a good cast – however, Ophelia Lovibond’s character, Emma, does seem pointless. It does a good job establishing the main characters in the beginning though, which is impressive considering the short amount of time it had to do so. It could have been improved if it had kept the simplicity of the plot throughout the whole film, because the explanation is over the top and does feel a bit out of place. However, it is definitely worth watching because there are still plenty of things to like about it.  

​‘Gifted’ is the new drama from ‘500 Days of Summer’ director Marc Webb that tells the story of Frank (Chris Evans) struggling to raise his ridiculously smart niece Mary (McKenna Grace), when his mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) comes back into his life and starts a custody battle when they disagree on his way of parenting. Although this is a premise that warrants a lot of conflict, it still manages to be a very sweet, heartfelt film that allows you to sympathise with both sides of the story.

One of the best things about the film is that while Evelyn is the main antagonist, it is easy to understand her perspective and her motivations, when it would have been very easy to just portray her as an evil mother stereotype. There is depth and complexity to the relationship between her and Frank, as well as to the relationship between Frank and Mary. McKenna Grace is wonderful in her role as Mary who got a lot of laughs from the audience – she’s sassy, tenacious, and basically a grumpy old lady in the body of a child. If her performance hadn’t been good, it would have impacted the film a lot since she is at the heart of it and is responsible for all the emotional moments, so she is just one example of the solid casting. In addition, Chris Evans reminds us how under-rated he is as an actor; just watch his facial expressions during the close-ups in the court room scenes. He also manages to balance humour and emotion with his character – and as always, is incredibly likeable.

I didn’t have any major issues with this film, but there were a couple of things that could have been improved. Firstly, because there are quite a lot of characters fit into the story, some of them disappeared for a while in the middle or not enough time was spent with them. For example, it seemed that although Octavia Spencer is a supporting character and is a lovely character in the film, it didn’t take full advantage of having such a respected actress on board, so she could have been in it more. It was also noticeable when Jenny Slate’s character, Bonnie, wasn’t present for what felt like a big chunk of the film and her role became less important by the end. Having said that, the film did manage to demonstrate character through little things which were very effective. One other problem was that the shaky camera movement used a lot throughout the film, which did do a good job of creating a sense of intimacy, was sometimes distracting and unnecessary.

​This is one of those films that will make the softies in the audience cry but luckily doesn’t quite make it into cheesy territory, and will hopefully make you laugh at least once. Although it does feel quite long, it is worth watching – especially for all the strong performances.  

Well goddamn! Ben Affleck delivers a triple threat of talents in Live By Night, an amazing little gangster film which isn't just very well acted by very well written and directed by Affleck himself.

Live By Night follows the story of a small time bank robber who falls into the Mob life after a love affair goes wrong during the prohibition era. Sent to Florida to run a booze cartel he grows his empire, taken on the local mobsters, the KKK and his own guilt, all the the aim to get revenge on the man who killed his beloved.

I'm not a huge mob movie kind of a guy but Live By Night has a certain charm about it. Affleck is great as Joe Coughlin, you feel the heaviness of the life he no leads and even though he isn't the most clean cut of characters Affleck gives a performance that makes you care for Joe. The progression of his character his helped with the perfect supporting cast of Chris Messina who plays the role of Coughlin's partner in crime Dion and Zoe Saldana as Joe's second love Graciela.  Ella fanning also puts in a good performance as Loretta, the police chiefs daughter who goes of to LA and comes back broken. Loretta's story is heart breaking, and this shows Joe's more caring side.

The film is also well paced, at no point did I feel the film was dragging on to long (a rare thing in cinema at the moment). The story keeps the viewers attention right up to the dramatic final scenes. 

Live By Night is a masterclass of modern Gangster films. Ben Affleck has shown that he isn't just a great actor but a brilliant writer and director. The only annoying thing, and once you hear it you will not get it out of your head, is that Joe's accent makes Affleck sound like Adam Sandler....it's uncanny really.

If you are looking for a film to buy this weekend, this is the one to grab for.