The Sheep Detectives

Image credit: IMDb

We don’t say it enough, but animals really are wondrous. Think about it, they bring sooo much to human society. They help to feed us, clothe us, guide us, soothe us, they provide jobs in rearing, researching, destroying, and preserving, and they are so often used as such marvelous narrative devices. Whether they are outsmarting villainous fashionist divas a la Disney or satirising the rise of Soviet totalitarianism for Orwell, animals are everywhere and exerting more influence in our daily lives than they and we realise.

In Kyle Balda’s The Sheep Detectives animals, primarily sheep, explore and dissect the generic formula of the whodunnit while remaining a very sweet and moving family movie.

George Hardy is a smalltown shepherd who spends his time tending his flock: feeding them, shearing them, giving them their medicine, and reading crime novels aloud to them. When he is found dead one morning, his flock immediately recognise the telltale signs of a murder, and they put their love of crime novels to the test to solve the mystery.

Based on the novel Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann, The Sheep Detectives is an adorable family whodunnit that is both whimsical and darkly intriguing: like a cross between Babe and Knives Out. Running parallel to the PG murder mystery is a deep and moving story about belonging as well as a shallow exploration into the social complexities of communities and the intricacies of their relationships.

A delightful and whimsical cast of memorable characters zealously dissect and follow the recognisable formula of the whodunnit genre, while simultaneously making fun of the genre by exaggerating key tropes like the inept authorities and hammering home the idea that the formula is so straightforward that even a sheep can solve it. Add to this a darling array of voice talents and it’s a few adorable ideas about the cultural beliefs of sheep and you’ve got a movie that is the perfect way to spend a cozy Sunday afternoon.

Image credit: Australian Catholics

Director: Kyle Balda, 2026

Cast: Hugh Jackman, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Regina Hall, Brett Goldstein, Bella Ramsay, Chris O’Dowd, Rhys Darby, Patrick Stewart, Bryan Cranston, Nicholas Braun, Conleth Hill, Tosin Cole, Hong Chau, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Nicholas Galitzine, Molly Gordon, & Emma Thompson

Anaconda

Image credit: Fandango

When you want to get out of the house on Boxing Day but can’t stand the idea of being crushed in a Lion King reenactment during the Boxing Day sales, where do you go? The movies. What could be better than going to see a dumb popcorn movie in the wake of the Christmas aftermath? Honestly, a lot of things but regardless, a dumb comedy-horror hit cinemas on Boxing Day so Partner and I braved the stampedes of the shopping mall and went to see Anaconda.

Griff (Paul Rudd) is a struggling actor pining for the old days when he and his childhood friends would make movies together. Thankfully, his friends are also going through similar mid-life crises so when he proposes remaking their favourite horror film, Anaconda, they are immediately on board. With Doug (Jack Black) directing and Griff and Claire (Thandiwe Newton) starring as the leads, the group heads into the jungle full of hope and excitement. But their dream quickly turns into a nightmare when they find themselves being stalked by an enormous anaconda.

While the poster gives off Jumanji vibes, the film is definitely more like Tropic Thunder: a bloody, rough, and brutal comedy flavoured with not-so-subtle social commentary about the state of cinema and the genre’s penchant for metafiction. The twist of the plot is also very similar in that it’s a group of filmmakers who inadvertently land in the middle of the story they are trying to tell.

The film is very much about the funny, filmmakers-living-the-film plot but there are some thinner narratives about friendship, growing-up, and never giving up on your dreams peppered throughout. A reasonably funny script combined with eco-horror and the gross-out humour that can accompany it does not put Anaconda in the realm of comedy genius, but certainly delivers laughs and cringes.

The performances are all solid, there is definitely a fun and friendly vibe or chemistry that flows through the central cast. It really does feel like a bunch of friends and cinephiles making a movie.

Image credit: Decider

While it’s nothing to write home about, Anaconda is a fun and mindless popcorn movie that delivers respite from the year that has been. Filled with action, suspense, a couple of predictable plot twists, and plenty of comedy, it’s a perfectly adequate way to kill some time.

Director: Tom Gormican, 2025

Cast: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Selton Mello, Ione Skye, Sebastian Sero, Daniela Melchior, Rui Ricardo Diaz, & Ice Cube

The Roses

Image credit: Wikipedia.org

The cinematic climate in which we currently live is rife with remakes. While I am primarily of the opinion that there is a wealth of unexplored stories out there that could benefit from a screen adaptation, I am also inclined to believe that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a remake, as long as it’s done well. Doing a remake could arguably be as much of a gamble as adapting a heretofore unadapted novel, the pressure lies with the director, writer and everyone on the film’s credit list… and hinges on what is chosen to be updated.

Comedy, as a genre, is a tricky playing field, as what is considered funny today could well be downright offensive tomorrow. It’s the fastest-changing genre of cinema as well as the truest supportive evidence that art imitates life, so making the choice to remake a comedy is ballsy and tactical. We’ve seen a number of reasonably successful comedies remade: Fun With Dick and Jane (2005), Ghostbusters (2016), The Naked Gun (2025) etc; all chosen because the stories lend themselves to a brand of comedy that has managed to remain popular. Recently sprouted to add to this lush forest of comedy remakes is The Roses, an updated version of the dark comedy War of the Roses (1989) which starred Micheal Douglas and Kathleen Turner.

When architect Theo Rose (Benedict Cumberbatch) met chef Ivy (Olivia Coleman), it was love at first sight. A raucous trip to the restaurant cool room quickly escalated into a ten-year marriage in which Ivy takes care of the kids and cooks part-time in her restaurant while Theo designs a historic museum building. When a hurricane destroys the museum, Theo’s career is ruined, while Ivy’s takes off as her struggling restaurant serves as a storm-escape for a popular food critic. Suddenly, the roles are reversed with Ivy working full-time and Theo looking after the kids. But as Ivy’s career as a popular chef and restaurateur takes off, jealousy and resentment between her and Theo starts to bubble to the surface and soon the two are locked in a vicious divorce, trying to drive the other out of their dream house.

I did not realise that this was a remake when I settled down for an afternoon with Disney+. I am inclined to now check out the original because while I did enjoy this movie, I can’t really identify how I feel about it and would like to see if the original differs or fills I any little craters that The Roses was pitted with.

For the majority, the film is a delightfully modern, dark, and witty verbal jousting match between the two romantic leads. Cumberbatch begins the film as an ethical and idealistic gentleman whose inflated ego then takes a battering and inspires him to push other people to achieve their potential. Coleman is a charming and eloquently crass British take on the manic pixie dream girl who then becomes the classic displaced, sardonic mother figure. The two are delightful together, matching each other’s energy and delivering a very eloquent and darkly funny script with mesmerising, scathing finesse. It’s like watching a boxing match or fencing tourney in slow-motion; a compilation of when all the best and brutal blows are landed that is disturbing, yet you can’t tear your eyes away from it.

Image credit: Mubi

I think the film falls down during the third act where the all-out war breaks. The theatrical trailer shows all the best bits of the insane battle that ensues. Audiences hoping for even more vicious and absurd shenanigans are surprised during the height of the third act where the drama of the entire film explosively rushes to the surface. We are aggressively shoved into an anxious spiral of lost hope for a happy ending or any sort of closure. And then the film ends on a shock-gasp shot that provides the perfect mental space for the underlying depressing aspects of the movie – and indeed life and nature of relationships - to cover our brains like a weighted blanket. The credits roll on a mellow cover of ‘Happy Together’ that suddenly seems really dark, while we stare unblinkingly at the screen, having mentally blue-screened.

While The Roses leaves a lasting impression, I feel that the ending counteracts the hopeful threat of a happy ending throughout the film and perhaps it would have had more of a profound impact if the film had been marketed more as a drama with some comedic elements. Funnily, it reminded me of Remember Me.

But, aside from the bombshell ending that tears everything asunder, The Roses is a fun and entertaining look at the transformative intricacies of modern relationships, the dangers of career-addiction, and the romance of finding that someone who will have an EpiPen handy when you go into anaphylactic shock.

Director: Jay Roach, 2025

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colmen, Andy Samberg, Kate McKinnon, Ncuti Gatwa, Sunita Mani, Zoe Chao, Jamie Demetriou & Allison Janney

Addams Family Values

Image credit: IMDb

Continuing on with our little trip down the creepy and kooky rabbit hole that has been sparked with the new season of Wednesday on Netflix, Partner and I curled up last weekend to indulge in the family fun and madness of Addams Family Values.

While there is certainly a lot of love going on in the Addams family mansion with the arrival of baby Pubert, there is also discontent. While Wednesday and Puglsey concoct deadlier games to play with their brother, Uncle Fester begins to despair that he'll never find the special love that Gomez and Morticia have. But this changes when Debbie, the new babysitter, enters the mansion and Fester falls head over heels in love with her. But Debbie’s not really a babysitter, she’s a gold-digging serial killer known as the Black Widow and Fester is her next victim.

Where the first movie was all about the kooky novelty of the Addams family, the second one provides a bit more of a narrative backbone, giving the film semi-solid plot reasons for a few of the circumstance in which the characters find themselves. Alongside the central murder plot, which goes delightfully awry as Fester proves harder to kill than a cockroach, is the escape from summer camp plot starring Wednesday and Pugsley. For context, Debbie convinces Gomez and Morticia to send the kids to summer camp, as they suspect she’s not what she seems. Stuck at a cringeworthy camp for the rich and privileged, the two attempt a number of escapes before having to succumb to a full-out mutiny. During these scenes, we get to enjoy more of Wednesday and Puglsey as characters as well as a load of face-scrunching racism, ableism, and other political incorrectness because, it’s the ‘90s.

Still playing on the ironically sweet naivety and trustingness of the Addams Family and the idea that ‘normal’ people are actually the ones to be scared of, the film goes through a series of fun and chuckle-inducing sequences exploring themes of familial bonds, sex, and companionship.

Image credit: Fangoria

A lot more well-rounded that its predecessor, Addams Family Values is another fun, quirky, and engaging family comedy, definitely a bit dated in terms of some social commentary as well as janky special effects, but I think that all adds to the cinematic experience. There’s still never a dull moment.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld, 1993

Cast: Angelica Houston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, Christina Ricci, Carol Kane, Jimmy Workman, Carel Struycken, Christopher Hart, David Krumholtz, Dana Ivey, Peter MacNicol & Christine Baranski

The Addams Family

Image credit: Wikipedia

One pro of the reboots and revamp debate in visually consumable media is that it does create/prove the longevity of certain stories or characters by exposing them to a different audience and seeing if it bites. As an example, Partner and I have been recently binging Wednesday on Netflix and enjoying the characters so much that we recently curled up on the weekend and watched the Addam’s Family movie from the early ‘90s.

The creepy, cooky, and eccentric Addams family have been lamenting the loss of their dear Uncle Fester for years, holding seances to try to find him either on this side of existence or the other. Their grief and vulnerability make them the prey of a group of con artists who send a Fester lookalike to infiltrate the manor and steal the fortune in their vault. But the plan starts to falter when Gordon, the undercover infiltrator, starts to develop rapports with the Addamses.

A classic ‘90s spoopy romp that is all about the sight gags and playing on the absurdity of its characters, The Addams Family is a delightfully funny movie that is 100% about its characters and aesthetic rather than its story. The weak narrative with an ending that you can already see coming a mile away is more of an afterthought, a necessary framing structure to support the delightful set design, costume design, performances, and visual comedy.

The fun of the Addams Family has always been the characters. In the role of Gomez Addams we have Raul Julia who is amorous, charismatic, and hilariously zealous in every dance or sword-fighting scene he’s in. We then have Angelica Houston as Morticia Addams: sultry, sincere, a beautifully morbid matriarch. Christina Ricci as Wednesday Addams delivers every line with a wonderfully unfathomable deadpan expression and inflection, and then Christopher Lloyd as ‘Uncle Fester’ provides the film with a significant portion of its comic relief, being the bodily trigger for many of the manor’s wonderful traps while also playing the role of heart-fluttering black sheep in an already unusual flock.

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The Addams Family is a movie that delivers a cinematic experience based on how well the audience is across its characters and their history. I am certain that there were many jokes that we missed due to our having never seen the original series or followed the characters’ origins but nevertheless, we still found ourselves laughing out loud at the silliness and sharp-witted humour of the film as well as being touched by its heartwarming message about the staying power of family.

Director: Barry Sonnenfeld, 1991

Cast: Raul Julia, Angelica Houston, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Hedaya, Elizabeth Wilson, Christina Ricci, Judith Malina, Carel Stuycken, Dana Ivey, Jimmy Workman & Paul Benedict

Nonnas

Image credit: Wikipedia

I like the sweet, wholesome, and nondescript heartwarming foodie comedy a la Julie & Julia, Ratatouille, or Delicious in Dungeon. I put as much love into food preparation and consumption as I do movie consumption (i.e. I love to cook and am fascinated by the power that food holds). So it’s a real punch in the gut when I spot a movie that promises to be all sweet and wholesome and about the healing power of food, that then does not deliver. This would be the (unbelievably) Emmy-nominated, Nonnas.

After his mother passes away, Joe Scaravella (Vince Vaughn) finds himself struggling to move on and cooking his mother and Nonna’s recipes as a means of coping. At the suggestion of his childhood friends, he takes the money left to him and decides to open a restaurant with real Italian grandmothers as the chefs. What could go wrong?

This film is based on a true story, this restaurant is a real place in Staten Island that has blossomed into a multicultural family kitchen with grandmothers from all backgrounds cooking family recipes. The real Joe Scaravella even makes a cameo in the film. It’s a sweet and inspiring story that I am now tempted to investigate to see just how much of it was kept and what parts were written in to flesh out the movie.

Ironically, despite the immediate pull of the wholesome food-related true story, Nonnas suffered from a serious lack of seasoning. The story itself is the flavour that carries the film, but the clumsy script, forced character development, and wholly uninteresting protagonist really bring the whole thing down. Like a cream of mushroom soup that’s more ‘water of mushroom’.

Vince Vaughn, what happened to you? In every Vaughn movie I’ve seen he is charismatic, endearing, and goes a mile a minute: with the exception of Zoolander in which he has no lines. Hell, even in the remake of Psycho he was more engaging. In Nonnas his performances in the most bland and wooden thing I have ever seen, eating a pinecone would be more entertaining and provide the same nutritional value. Maybe this is the first example of an AI lead?

The real stars of the show are the supporting cast of chefs: Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, and Susan Sarandon. The chemistry between the Nonnas is heartwarming and instantly recognisable, the real crime of this film is not doing more with their characters. I feel like so much flavour could have been added if we got to hear stories about their recipes. Instead, we get one good scene in which they all bond and it’s so ham-fistedly written that you spend the rest of the film massaging your jaw from clenching too hard.

Image credit: Eater

As a main dish, Nonnas was lacking. Carried by a simple and novel plot, there was nothing added to enrich, compliment, or deepen the flavour of the film. A bland protagonist that does not inspire us to be on his side, a group of supporting characters who don’t get the showcase they deserve, and a script that feels like it was left on the stove to bubble away without being stirred once. Not a dish I would order again.

Director: Stephen Chbosky, 2025

Cast: Vince Vaughn, Lorraine Bracco, Talia Shire, Brenda Vaccaro, Jimmy Smagula, Adam Ferrara, Kate Eastman, Karen Giordano, Joe Manganiello, Linda Cardellini & Susan Sarandon

Persuasion

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As a member of the human race who really enjoys movies, there is something very dispiriting when you go through a movie funk. We all go through them and they are never particularly fun – having that drive and excitement of curling up to watch a new movie severed or just no longer there. I’ve been going through one for the past couple of months, but I recently got to enjoy the uplifting feeling of randomly breaking it one day. I had a Saturday afternoon where I just really fancied curling up with a cup of tea and a new movie. The film of choice: Persuasion staring Dakota Johnson.

Witty and smart Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) was once in love but was persuaded by her family to break the engagement due to her beloved’s humble standing in society. Eight years later Anne is still unmarried and regrets that decision every day. But fate gives her another chance when Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis), now an upstanding Captain in the navy, reappears in her life. Will pride, regret, and embarrassment prevent Anne from following her heart a second time?

Based on the novel by Jane Austen, this 2022 adaptation is a delightfully light and witty retelling of a classic love story. True to the narrative style of Austen, the film is filled with cheeky asides and fourth wall breaks, as well as an entertaining and memorable cast of subtly caricatured supporting characters.

We feel immediate sympathy and connection to Anne thanks to Johnson’s beguiling performance, which then goes through a compelling series of changes as she shares scenes with her ex. The morphing stages of the relationship are subtle, but very well acted out with Anne providing drama and comedy while Wentworth goes through scenes like a lovelorn puppy.

Image credit: The Guardian

There really isn’t much to say about a Jane Austen period romance that has not already been said before. We are instantly transported into another era, but still able to follow all that is happening thanks to the film’s modern camera tricks and actors’ engagements with the audience.

Persuasion is sweet and romantic, a very lovely little film to while away a cold winter’s afternoon with.

Director: Carrie Cracknell, 2022

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Cosmo Jarvis, Henry Golding, Ben Bailey Smith, Yolanda Kettle, Lydia Rose Bewley, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Mia McKenna-Bruce, Nia Towle, Izuka Hoyle, & Richard E. Grant

The Holdovers

Image credit: IMDb

I don’t know about you, but I always find movies about teacher-student relationships fascinating and rather touching. As a child I was always scared of my teachers because they were big, looming, authoritative figures, and as a teenager I just got the impression that I was just a part of their job. I know there are people out there who hugged their teachers regularly or remained in touch with them into adulthood, but that’s never been a part of my reality.

Perhaps it’s knowing, even on some level when you’re very small, that teaching is one of the hardest and most underappreciated (and underfunded) jobs in the world that makes movies about teachers and their students the more compelling: the idea that someone could believe so much in their job and the good that it does for people that they overcome incredible challenges and change lives – Dead Poets Society, To Sir With Love, Sister Act 2. Films where the relationship works both ways are even more fascinating: what could the student teach their professor? The Holdovers, one of the Oscar-nominated films for Best Picture last year, did just this.

The film follows Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a cranky history Professor who gets saddled with the task of remaining on campus at a New England boarding school to supervise the handful of students who are unable to go home for Christmas Break. Over the course of the break, he develops an unlikely relationship with a bright but audacious troublemaker (Dominic Sessa) and the head lunch lady (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who has recently lost her son in the Vietnam War.

A modest and small film with heart, I think the major appeal of The Holdovers is the vintage, grainy filter that it uses to create the aesthetic of a small-budget British film from the ‘60s or ‘70s. Putting us in mind of films like To Sir With Love or Billy Elliot, the film tells a simple story in which the protagonists undergo an emotional transformation through witty and loaded dialogue. There is very little physical or external narrative action that drives it, rather it’s the compelling performances and gorgeously artistic yet down-to-earth script that makes the 2 hours fly by.

Image credit: Classic Cinema

Giamatti treads this incredibly fine line between cantankerous, Scrooge-esque dictator and cynic with a soft side, as he begins the film hating his privileged students and taking a fiendish delight in making them miserable (which is very funny to watch) and ends it being inspired by one of them. Sessa plays the bright, but troubled teenager very well, with something of the bravado of John Bender but more eloquent and self-assured. And Randolph, who walked away with the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, is sweet, sassy and reserved while delivering the hard truths in perfectly inflected one-liners.

The Holdovers is an unexpectedly touching film that explores the complexities of human relationships within the setting of one of the most important institutions in society. Armed with interesting characters, a great script, and brilliant performances, it’s a deceptively simple and compelling piece of work.

Director: Alexader Payne, 2023

Cast: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, & Andrew Garman

Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

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We all know that art imitates life and that films often serve as a source of social commentary as well as entertainment. Films about humanity’s increasingly dangerous reliance on technology have been around since the era of Charlie Chapin in which his famous comic character, The Tramp, very humorously showed us what could happen when technology breaks down in Modern Times. And did we listen?

Isaac Asimov has been trying to caution us with this science fiction stories that usually depict robots turning on their masters or evolving an intelligence to rival humans. I Robot, Alien, Blade Runner, 2001 ASpace Odyssey – what do all these films have in common? Villainous AI. Even Disney had a stab at trying to redirect our reliance on technology with WALL-E and now, with the very real rise of AI, Aardman has taken up challenge.

As a present for Gromit, Wallace invents a robotic gnome to help him in his garden. When the neighbours see ‘Norbot’, there’s a scramble to hire him to help in their gardens and households and Wallace quickly becomes a neighbourhood celebrity. Word travels fast and soon a TV interview with Wallace gets seen by none other than Feathers McGraw, the villainous penguin who tried to steal the Blue Diamond. Languishing in prison, McGraw soon concocts an elaborate revenge plot against Wallace and Gromit, with Norbot as the key.

While Feathers McGraw may be the villain of this piece, the real evil is society’s reliance on technology. The gadgets that populate Wallace and Gromit’s house have exponentially grown in number since The Wrong Trousers, eradicating the need for Wallce to do anything – even pat his own dog. This lack of physical intimacy between the two heroes is the real drama and helps to hammer home the message that there are some things that technology just can’t do.

The film definitely rides strong on nostalgia, essentially being a longer and less emotional remake of The Wrong Trousers. This ensures bums stay in seats and a few laughs get choked out, but I found Vengeance Most Fowl to be a little bit tortured and straining. The jokes are tired, the story is predictable, and even the chemistry between the heroes feels a bit diluted.

Image credit: Animation Magazine

But the animation is still gorgeous with beautiful scenic backdrops that make this one of the bigger Wallace and Gromit adventures in existence. Seeing Claymation and stop-motion is always refreshing because it is an artform that took off but stayed relatively low to the ground. Like a waterfowl, it’s been steadily skimming the reservoir of cinema for decades, content to just glide along.

Vengeance Most Fowl is a fun visit with old friends but ultimately, I still find the old half-hour features to be more emotionally enjoyable.

Director: Merlin Crossingham & Nick Park

Cast: Ben Whitehead, Peter Kay, Lauren Patel, Muzz Khan, Diane Morgan, Reece Shearsmith & Lenny Henry

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Image credit: Film-book.com

I remember one writing an essay for uni about the various ways that filmmakers can tell captivating stories and deliver an immersive cinematic experience despite the confines of a designated timeframe. The details of the essay are lost to time, I was only reminded of it this morning after watching a very cute and quirky short film from Wes Anderson: The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

Based on the short story by Roald Dahl, the short tells a lovely story about Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch) a rich and greedy man who discovers the means to see without his eyes. Using this talent for gambling, Henry quickly discovers the hollowness of accumulated wealth and determines to use his talents to bring some good to the world.

During the pandemic Taika Waititi and a bunch of friends, including Benedict Cumberbatch, recorded a zoom meeting storytelling session in which they sat about and read James and the Giant Peach out loud, complete with character voices and sound effects from various items from the house and garden. If you’ve not seen it, you can find it on YouTube and I would recommend it because it so lovely and wholesome.

Watching The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar reminded me a little of Waititi’s little story time. It’s a short film that celebrates the oral tradition of storytelling with the added modern joy of theatre. Aware of their own narrative nature, the characters tell the story as though they are reading it from the page, with comically deadpan delivery while stagehands are rushing about behind them changing the backdrop from jungle to London apartment. One would think that this would really disrupt the flow of the film, but because it’s a Wes Anderson movie the weirdness that sits behind the visual gags and painful symmetry within the mise-en-scene becomes rather delightful.

Image credit: rollingstone.com

Sitting at a just over half an hour, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar uses this gorgeous combination of oral storytelling and theatrical reenactment to tell a full and inspiring story that could easily fill 2 hours. It’s an Oscar-winning example of the concentrated power of oral storytelling that has been merely enhanced by theatre and playacting. The obviously cardboard sets rigged to slide away when a change of scene is required are a) a great exhibition of talent and b) bring an added celebration of the power of human hands and humanity’s achievements in storytelling.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film and it’s not hard to see why. Anderson’s signature quirkiness mixed with Roald Dahl’s whimsy is a match made in Heaven and this short film that celebrates two of humanity’s strongest modes of storytelling is a delight.

Director: Wes Anderson, 2023

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Kinsley, Dev Pateel, Richard Ayoade, Jarvis Cocker, & Ralph Fiennes

Good Luck To You, Leo Grande

Image credit: IMDb

While sex is something that certainly runs rampant in cinema, transcending every single genre, it’s funny how little conversation there is about it. Much like the real world, open conversations about sex are dangerously few – probably for a multitude of ridiculous reasons- and as a result there is so much ignorance regarding literally everything about it from the mechanics of the physical act to the social power dynamics that come with it.

As a medium that reaches so many people, cinema is the perfect megaphone through which to openly chat about sex and how it works (or sometimes doesn’t) and the nice thing about that is that the discussion does not have to be graphic or sexy. It can absolutely be tasteful and accessible, like the film that I curled up and watched this morning: Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Two years after the death of her husband, Nancy Stokes (Emma Thompson) decides to try and regain some excitement of her youth before a bland marriage and children shaped the larger part of her life. She hires a sex worker named Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack) in an attempt to find some adventure -and sex- but gets more than she imagined when the two start talking and she becomes a returning client, fascinated by Leo and his take on the social stigmas of sex, age, and beauty.

This is a lovely, bare-bones film that doesn’t rely on the bells and whistles of extravagant artistic design, special effects, or even long, drawn-out narratives. It’s an hour and a half of two people having conversations about subjects that are often hard to talk about. Over the course of four meetings, we learn about Nancy and Leo as characters, as well as hear important discussions and social commentary on the state of the world and the institutionalised, toxic methods of thinking that shape society. The film explores the social stigmas around the sex work industry, as well as sex in relation to age, gender, and what is socially acceptable as ‘sexy’.

The performances of both Thompson and McCormack are both wonderful: instantly intriguing and relatable. Nancy is an anxious and unhappy woman who transforms, through her curiosity and then fascination with Leo, into a satisfied and wider-minded person and Thompson superbly conveys a wealth of emotions with nothing more than quick, eloquent dialogue and long, unblinking glances. On the other side of the bed is Leo who is charming, patient, soothing, and very down-to-earth.

Image credit: Flicks

The one problem I did have with this movie was that it didn’t overtly discuss the sex work industry, which is a major plot point. While it certainly tries to refer to many of the struggles and problems that sex workers face both in their job and in society in general, it merely glosses over them and this hand-wavey attitude ends up becoming something of a problem when the dramatic incident of the third act comes into play. Without wanting to give too much away, there is a scene that depicts a breach of trust and social contract between the two. It’s committed innocently, with the guilty party not realising the potentially dangerous repercussions of their actions and what’s most annoying is that, rather than making the severity of the drama known, the film then turns it on to the injured party and goes in for a most awful cliché of social attitude towards sex workers. While there is some redemption within the last ten minutes, the way this dramatic turn was narratively handled really gave me the ick enough to lament that the film had been so good up until that point. While it’s a more accessible and less cliched depiction of sex workers, it’s not the most enlightening.

But aside from this one big stumble, which did kind of feel like a condom snapping midway through and killing the mood for a bit, Good Luck To You, Leo Grande is a sweet and engaging film that I really did enjoy.

Director: Sophie Hyde, 2022

Cast: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack, & Isabella Laughland

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

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Isn’t it a delightful surprise when a sequel that was never asked for beats a whole bunch of frontrunners at the box office? Admittedly I’m a bit behind on my reviewing game, apologies about that, as work/life has gotten in the way, but here I am to talk about a sequel that is still making bank and has proved to be one of the most interesting and enigmatic successes: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.

Many years after Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder) was almost married off to the zany ghost Beetlejuice, she has found herself with a successful career as a paranormal TV personality, with a manipulating fiancé, and having a daughter who doesn’t want to be around her. Even worse, recently it seems that she’s seeing Beetlejuice everywhere. When her father passes, Lydia, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), and Lydia’s daughter Astrid (Jena Ortega) find themselves back in Winter River at their old house, mourning and getting into trouble as Astrid accidentally opens a door to the Afterlife. In order to save Astrid, Lydia must, once again, ask Beetlejuice for help at the price of maybe ending up as his bride… again.

It's really interesting to think that these are probably the most successful movies that are named after a supporting character. Apparently, Michel Keaton upon signing up for the sequel requested that he only remain on screen for the same amount of time as in the first movie… which was only just over 17 minutes. While neither film is primarily about Beetlejuice, both the original and the sequel are fun and delightful explorations into how supporting characters can end up stealing the show.

Equally as zany and fun as the first movie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an absolute romp! It’s basically a return to the original 1988 classic, with the practical and makeup effects being a little more polished, a crisper use of Claymation, a set of fresh semi-exciting stories, and the best use of Macarthur Park since Priscilla the Musical! Not to mention the wonderful homage to Brian De Palma's Carrie at the end. Watch out for that. 

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While there is a load of predictability in the narrative and some of the character arcs, the fun of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice comes in the form of Burton’s fascination with the afterlife and how it’s probably a lot closer to home than we think. Just as in the first movie, very little about the inner workings of the Afterlife is explained, the most we get is that people get deposited to new Otherworldly destinations by way of the Soul Train… and yes, the disco joke is not lost at all! We are reminded a bit of Corpse Bride when that decrepit skeleton famously said, "why go up there when people are dying to get down here?"

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is perfect for a mindless night out at the movies. It’s easy to follow, it’s vibrant, and just a good load of fun. I would recommend it, definitely!

Director: Tim Burton, 2024

Cast: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jena Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Monica Bellucci, Justin Theroux, Arthur Conti, & Danny DeVito

Deadpool & Wolverine

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It’s always wonderful to go and see a movie that you have been looking forward to for ages and have it absolutely live up to your expectations. That feeling is just, mwuh, chef’s kiss. I got to experience the deliciousness of it last weekend when partner and I took ourselves to the cinema and saw Deadpool & Wolverine.

Wade Wilson’s (aka Deadpool) world is in peril. Serious peril. After a visit from the TVA, Wade learns that the sole person anchoring his timeline to reality is gone and without them, the whole timeline is doomed to crumble and disappear completely. Not so jazzed about this, Wade travels through multiple timelines to find a replacement for the anchor that his timeline has lost: Wolverine. Bringing back a Wolverine who has failed his own timeline, Wade is convinced that he has saved the world and earned his place amongst its mightiest heroes, only to discover that the TVA division who visited him have their own agenda. Sent with Wolverine to The Void, Wade must find a way back home, inspire a drunk and violent Wolverine to become a hero, and stop Charles Xavier’s psychotic sister from engulfing not just his timeline, but every timeline.

I was so excited for this movie and it did not disappoint. From the opening credits, the entire film is a blood-soaked, foul-mouthed, meta-stuffed joyride that had partner and I laughing from the first minute.

Coloured by the signature metafiction, fourth-wall breaks, and not-so-subtle digs at Disney’s cinematic history that made the first movie so effing hilarious, Deadpool & Wolverine carries a weighty story of emotional growth and character development underneath the waves of sarcasm and crudity. Wade is on a journey of self-importance and discovery, beginning the film unsure of his own importance without the mask and trying to find a way to make his life and his talents have meaning. In true Deadpool fashion, he achieves this in a really violent, verbal, and round-about way that even he’s not sure will pay off.

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Hugh Jackman is back as a sulky, dispirited, and short-fused Wolverine who also goes on a trip to discover his self-importance and become a hero. The relationship forged between the two is delightfully standoffish, aggressive, awkward, competitive and makes for a very fun time: mostly laugh-out-loud funny, but with a very subtle sweetness underlying it.

Without a doubt though, the star of the show are the writers who have managed to cram so much meta and social commentary comedy into the mix that it runs the risk of exploding. Between the resurgence of characters that the Marvel universe forgot and the broken Fox Studios sign that reminds us of the final scene of Planet of the Apes, this film is a gut-buster: a complete, shambolic, chaotic, insane, gut-buster. And I loved every minute of it! If there’s one movie you see in cinemas this year, make it this one!

Director: Shawn Levy, 2024

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Dafne Keen, Jon Favreau, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Wesley Snipes, Chris Evans, Aaron Stanford, Wunmi Mosaku, Karan Soni, Tyler Mane, Channing Tatum, & Henry Cavill

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

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It’s an odd feeling when a franchise gets rebooted, to fairly positive applause, and then gets a sequel that just doesn’t hit the same heights or notes of the reboot. It just goes to show that rebooting beloved cinematic greats are a slippery slope indeed. This train of thought comes from going along to see Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, after quite enjoying Afterlife. All I can say is that the sequel is fine, but nowhere near as enjoyable as its predecessor.

The new Ghostbusters have set themselves up in the old haunt from days bygone, and while there is plenty of work to keep them occupied, it is not without its problems. Constantly getting in trouble for damages to both private and public property, the strain is really put on when Mayor Peck threatens to shut them down if Pheobe (still being a minor) continues to work for them. As familial tensions begin to run high, a new spook threatens humanity: one that will literally leave its victims frozen in fear.

I think everything about this movie was fine and nothing more. Alongside the age-old threat that gets unknowingly unleashed and threatens to bring about a second Ice Age, we have the emotional dramas of teenage angst and its role in familial conflict. Pheobe becomes the annoying adolescent who thinks they know everything and while there is absolutely some truth to this – seeing as she is up against ‘dickless’ from the very first movie – it nevertheless becomes annoying very quickly as well as narratively predictable.

Alongside the family drama we have another ancient evil that threatens the world: a pretty cool exhibition of creature design and computer wizardry. Equipment, gags, and scenes from the original classic are back in the spotlight causing the same problems as before, but because the capturing and containment of apparitions became a science back in the ‘80s there are a number of cool and fascinating upgrades that come into play.

At the end of the day, I just found this sequel a bit lacking. The personal dramas of the characters that run alongside the central conflict are predicable and even lackluster, the character growth is kind of boring and minimal, and there aren’t really any new jokes to lift the film’s spirit.

Image credit: IMDb

Filled with action, chases, drama, and a race against time, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a fine and kind of fun way to pass the time, but I definitely feel that there is more love and enjoyment to be had from its predecessor.

Director: Gil Kenan (2024)

Cast: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Connor, Patton Oswalt, Emily Alyn Lind, Kumail Nanjiani, Ernie Hudson, Dan Akroyd, Annie Potts, & William Atherton

Wicked Little Letters

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There is a lot of nastiness in the world that might never really go away because as a species humans are stubborn, overtly wary of change, and creatures of habit. Things like overzealous religious mania, misogyny, radicalism, racism, and self-loathing. But we can take some comfort in the idea of #notallhumans and that we have the artistic mediums of literature, art, and film to depict these kinds of harmful and poisonous characteristics of our species and hopefully, pique the human desire for change, progression, and evolution.

This line of thought was inspired last night by a strange and impressive little film that I watched that was based on a true story: Wicked Little Letters.

The film follows Edith Swan (Olivia Coleman) a sweet and conservative woman who becomes the victim of hate mail. Blame is immediately placed upon her neighbour, foul-mouthed, Irish single mother Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley) who is arrested and put on trial. Rose is adamant that she is innocent and when police officer Gladys Moss notices discrepancies in the handwriting of Rose and the letter-writer, she embarks on a clandestine investigation to find out who the real author is.

This devilish black comedy tells an intriguing true story that I’m sure most people have not heard about. A confronting and strange little whodunnit, it’s set in England during the 1920s: a time that, for most people, was filled with fun, jazz, and freedom after the war and before the hell of the Great Depression. However, the Roaring ‘20s apparently did not extend to the town of Littlehampton where prejudice, ostracism, racism, and misogyny were ruling overlords. Despite the story taking a bit of a Mean Girls twist when Edith, being celebrated as a martyr, discovers from her friends that she’s not as well-liked as she thought, the real villain is the amount of injustice, inequality, and infuriating lack of basic respect that each woman in the cast suffers. Rose is shunned for being an Irish immigrant and single mother. Gladys is constantly being downtrodden by her misogynist superiors at the station. Edith’s whist group each receive looks of scorn and disapproval for not returning to being proper, upstanding ladies after the war. And Edith herself suffers constant abuse from her controlling father, played unnervingly well by Timothy Spall.

What makes the movie so intriguing and refreshing is that it’s a film about women overcoming adversity, but not in a romanticised, sisterly type of way. This is certainly no First Wives Club, Hidden Figures or A League of Their Own. What makes Wicked Little Letters so fascinating (and funny) is probably the fact that these woman don’t particularly like one another, but band together because the crap that is constantly being shoveled their way by the patriarchy is worse than their personal distaste for one another.

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While the themes and depictions of sexism, racism, and familial tyranny are confronting and very uncomfortable for the modern audience, the film cleverly sprinkles in delightful moments of comedy that help to lift the mood. Admittedly they are small and sometime far between, but they carry such weight that the smile sparked by them stays planted on your face for a good couple of scenes.

The performances are all excellent. Coleman is sweet and selfless, yet there is always something going on underneath her shining eyes and smile. Buckley provides a glorious contrast being loud, crass, and delightfully brazen. And then there is the prim and perfectly mannered Gladys played by Anjana Vasan. There’s a professional veneer about her all the time, but inside you know she is constantly screaming, she’s just wonderful to watch.

A more dramatic and quirky black comedy, Wicked Little Letters is a very enjoyable film.

Director: Thea Sharrock, 2023

Cast: Olivia Coleman, Jessie Buckley, Anjana Vasan, Gemma Jones, Malachi Kirby, Alisha Weir, Paul Chahidi, Eileen Atkins, Lolly Adefope, Joanna Scanlan, Hugh Skinner & Timothy Spall

Ghostbusters: Afterlife

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Whenever a beloved film from a bygone era gets targeted for a reboot, the initial response is always dubious. And rightly so. Cinema’s history, particularly the time ranging from the naughties through the 2010s is littered with the withered husks of fantastic films that got turned into franchises and milked for all they were worth. So it’s really a lovely surprise to watch a reboot and get to the end and go, ‘huh that’s was actually very entertaining and well done’. This is the feeling that I am currently experiencing, having just finished watching Ghostbusters: Afterlife (I’ve got tickets to the new one as a perk from my job so I figured I’d better watch its predecessor).

When Callie is evicted from her apartment she hopes to find a silver lining in inheriting the house of her late father. But when she and her kids Trevor and Pheobe get there, they find a dilapidated manor on the outskirts of a town in the middle of nowhere. While Callie and Trevor bemoan the loss of their city life, Pheobe discovers some very strange things about their new home including a basement filled with scientific gadgets, a garage with a very odd car, and a ghost. With the help of her new friend Podcast and her summer schoolteacher Mr. Grooberson, Phoebe discovers that her grandfather wasn’t some crazy old man like everyone says, he was a Ghostbuster intent on saving the world right to the end.

This was just a really fun film. Set in the present day, but in a universe where the events of the original Ghostbusters happened, it follows in the awkward and silly footsteps of the original; neither being too whimsical nor too serious. What I really liked about it was that it was made with love and respect for the original film. Ghostbusters is such a beloved classic from the ‘80s and it was really lovely to see a reboot that not only tied in elements of the original story, but employed the same humour, and didn’t rely too heavily on computer wizardry. In fact the reprisal of a few computer generated characters are actually really tastefully done with the holographic visage of a deceased actor and the janky ridiculousness of the famous hellhounds. It was fresh, but also nostalgic and I think that’s what really made it so enjoyable.

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In the ‘80s it was the band of bumbling male scientists, in 2016 it was the committed crew of female leads, and now it’s time for the kids to drive. The performances are all very good with a fun assortment making up the motley crew. We’ve got an awkward teenager tyring to be cool, an introverted and socially challenged 12-year-old, an overly enthusiastic young content creator, and a cool, down-to-earth teenage girl. Minus the delightful cameos during the climax, the gender divide is pretty well-bridged, bringing new elements and chemistry into the mix.

I really rather enjoyed Ghostbusters: Afterlife; it was both nostalgic and refreshing, it treated the original source material with respect, and it held something for those who have seen the original film and those who haven’t.

Director: Jason Reitman, 2021

Cast: Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Logan Kim, Celeste O’Conner, Paul Rudd, Annie Potts, Dan Akroyd, Ernie Hudson, J. K. Simmons, Bill Murray & Sigourney Weaver.

Kung Fu Panda 4

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Perhaps it’s because I don’t go to the cinema as often as a I used to, or perhaps it’s simply because I’m an adult now and therefore not paying all that much attention to children’s films, but it seems to me that there is a real lack of good family movies around at the moment. With Disney’s family successes being far and far between, and other studios like Dreamworks and Illumination not coming out with things as regularly as they used to (I think before the pandemic), there’s not a whole lot of family fun happening at the movies – at least not as much as I remember. It really makes you consider how cinema has changed thanks to the pandemic and the general way in which society is evolving and changing the way we consume media.

This chain of thought was brough to my mind because I recently went and saw Kung Fu Panda 4.

Po has successfully made the most of out of his life, going from humble beginnings working in a noodle shop to becoming the famous Dragon Warrior, achieving inner peace, and rising to the role of protector of the Valley of Peace. But his journey his not over. Po must now choose an apprentice to whom he can hand over the title of Dragon Warrior so that he can become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. But Po’s not too keen on this idea. Thankfully, the pressure is lessened when a thief breaks into the Hall of Heroes around the same time that reports of sightings of Tai Lung come to the valley. Po discovers that there is a dangerous sorceress at large with plans of world domination, so he teams up with the thief, a fox named Zhen, and goes on another adventure of spiritual growth and butt-kicking kung fu.

While this movie is certainly not bad, it was not asked for nor do I think it was needed. And Kung Fu Panda is my favourite Dreamworks franchise. This film is a clumsily written story of emotional maturity and character growth that absolutely works but is uninspiring and definitely lacking in the emotional payoff that the previous films have. While I could feel that there was some love that went into it, for the most part this movie feels more like a pay cheque than anything else, with lackluster writing and performances just not reaching for the same heights as before.

I’ve already touched on the story being clumsily constructed, uninspired, and relatively predictable, but I think the fact that there is no Furious Five in the mix also had a major impact on the film. Without the awesomeness of these characters to look up to and their friendship to relish in and bounce off, Po’s bubbly and sweet character loses its fizz and now sits flat. There’s still flavour, but it’s not as enjoyable as before. It really goes to show just how important supporting characters are!

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But to give credit where it is due, the animation is still incredible especially surrounding the villain: a shapeshifting chameleon with magical powers that allow her to basically become a kung fu master chimera during the third act.

At the end of the day, Kung Fu Panda 4 is not a bad movie, it just seems that the franchise has run out of steam. The film is still fun, heartwarming, and entertaining, btu I won’t be adding it to the library.

Ooh but do stay for the credits, because Tenacious D do a cover of Baby One More Time and it’s awesome!

Director: Mike Mitchell & Stephanie Stine (2024)

Cast: Jack Black, Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Ke Huy Quan & Viola Davis

The Colour of Magic

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The troubles and perils of adaptations are an exciting and dubious part of human society. Sometimes it works incredibly well, e.g. Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, or it goes horrible wrong: e.g. The Golden Compass. I like to think that the world’s best adaptations are examples of shared interpretations, senses of humour, and textual understandings that can transcend generations. In a good adaptation, you can often see, feel even, the love for the original story that everyone working on the project has.

With all the reboots, and remakes, and piggyback films, and spinoffs that populate cinematic history, it’s always pleasant to come across an adaptation of a fresh, beloved work. I have just finished watching one such adaptation: The Colour of Magic.

On the back of a giant turtle swimming in space, stands four elephants that hold the Discworld on their backs. The Discworld is an amazing and dangerous place filled with all sorts of wonders and perils. Twoflower, the Disc’s first tourist, wishes to see all of these wondrous things and so he hires an exiled wizard, Rincewind, to be his guide. What begins as a hapless wizard’s con to get as much money as he can from the clueless tourist, turns into a mighty adventure across the Disc (and sometimes off of it) in which the unlikely duo ride dragons, get thrown off the edge off the edge of the world, interrupt a Druidic sacrifice, admire the clock sitting in Death’s hallway, and somehow save the world.

I can understand why there aren’t many adaptations of Terry Pratchett’s works. Film and distribution rights for one thing, but also (having only started reading the books in the Discworld series) there is a such a unique sense of humour to his works that definitely would not be picked up or understood by everyone. This might account for the only adaptations of any his works being British.

Based on the events of both The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett, The Colour of Magic is a fun and exciting two-part feature that beautifully depicts a medieval fantasy world with a lot of modern ideas and attitudes. Unlike the glamorised, rustic aesthetic of Rohan or the Shire, darkness, dust, muck, and dinginess make up the places in which the heroes find themselves in varying predicaments and the absence of a ‘Hollywood’ sheen only serves to better depict the world of the Disc.

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Sean Astin, sticking out like a sore thumb in knee-high socks with sandals and a loud floral shirt, is truly delightful as Twoflower, delivering a performance that is naïve, excitable, and overall just very sweet. David Jason as Rincewind does a delightful job of being the hapless, constantly menaced victim, that somehow grows to care for his charge. And Tim Curry is perfect as Trymon, a murderous and ambitious wizard who is out to gain all the power he can.

A two-part miniseries made for TV, The Colour of Magic is a delightful adaptation of a truly unique world and cast of characters, filled with action, adventure, and plenty of comedy.

Director: Vadim Jean, 2008

Cast: Sean Astin, David Jason, Tim Curry, Brian Cox, Jermey Irons, Geoffrey Hutchings, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Michael Mears, Will Keen, James, Cosmo, David Bradley & Christopher Lee