United Kingdom
In Darkness could have been an exciting thriller with a complex, well-written female protagonist but it instead ends up being a convoluted and messy misfire.
Dominic Brunt’s horror comedy Attack of the Adult Babies is equally versed in British toilet humour and the classics of the horror genre.
On Chesil Beach feels like three separate character studies awkwardly forced into one occasionally incoherent film – but with a characteristically brilliant Saoirse Ronan performance at the centre, it is never anything less than compelling.
Haifaa al-Mansour’s Mary Shelley, helped along greatly by Elle Fanning’s powerful performance, will summon up all of one’s righteous feminist anger and make one appreciate the accomplishments of Mary and those like her all the more.
Lacking emotional honesty, Disobedience from director Sebastián Lelio fails to create believable, organic tension between its characters and translate an understanding of the films primary cultural focus and subject matter.
Obey is a compelling watch anchored by visceral, emotional performances by Rutherford and Miller, and a well-crafted script by Jones.
Beast is a gritty psychological-mystery with a brilliantly dark, pulsating and atmospheric heart, with an exceptional lead performance from Jessie Buckley. Michael Pearce delivers a brilliantly assured and confident feature-length directorial debut.
This belated sequel to Gnomeo and Juliet poorly attempts to expand the cinematic universe – and merely exposes the poor storytelling within.
While Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable may be a wreck of its own, there are hidden treasures within that do deserve discovery.
Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s adaptation of their hit stage play Ghost Stories is a serviceable British horror – but with so many recent gems in the genre, is being “serviceable” enough to justify its existence?
Failing to bring anything new the second time around, Pacific Rim: Uprising suffers from an identity crisis with little chance to rise up from its cinematic shortfalls to save itself.
Paddy Considine’s long-awaited second film in the director’s chair is an emotionally manipulative disappointment, that has replaced the grit of his debut with a stale, maudlin predictability.