2010s
Films focusing on a very niche subject walk an incredibly fine line. Most of the time if a film is geared on something specifically niche, it’s a fair bet that the writer or director has experience in the subject. This can either work brilliantly in favour of the film, or it can alienate audiences and feel quite awkward to experience.
Martin Scorsese’s Silence begins with a dark, blank screen, with only the gentle humming of cicadas heard on all sides. It then immediately opens up to an overcast shot overlooking the banks of a river, where numerous people are being strung up and tortured. Such a peaceful moment undercut by extreme violence is very much an indication of what’s to come.
A Monster Calls is an entertaining and beautifully presented fantasy, which also imbues deeper universal themes of grief and loss.
Kaili Blues is a debut feature that is inspired by many Chinese filmmakers that came before; yet it emerges as a unique and compelling film.
Somatic is a short film from director Will Nash, delving into complex questions of cloning and the nature of our reality.
Assassin’s Creed may be the best video game adaptation, with some dynamic action, but it still has a run of seething and frustrating flaws
Monster Trucks is a live action/computer animated film that is made by a regular animation director; unfortunately, it does not go over well.
Be My Cat is a satirical found footage film that manages to poke at the superficial ideologies of filmmaking while also being entertaining.
Collateral Beauty is a messy film that is almost saved by its heartwarming theme and performance by Will Smith – though still not quite.
The Love Witch is an aesthetically sophisticated and deeply-layered dramatization of the gender obstacles that we continue to embed in our society.
Twenty Twenty-Four is a sci-fi that alerts its audience as to a possible world-ending scenario, though it’s not a complete success.
The Seasons in Quincy is a series of four essays that each paint a portrait of the late John Berger, an extraordinary and versatile artist.
La La Land is a tribute to classic musicals, yet also attempts something different by subverting the romanticized outlook that they have.
Though with no dialogue, The Red Turtle is a profoundly moving work of art, culminating in one of the better animations in recent memory.
Passengers is a dull sci-fi that is neither saved by its star power nor by the potential of the story which it initially seems to convey.