The Nun II is an unnecessary sequel to the horror spin-off that adds almost nothing to the main story, and despite valiant filmmaking efforts it isn’t scary or compelling enough to be as memorable as other, better films in the Conjuring universe.
El Conde is an original and entertaining horror-satire that plays around with familiar vampire conventions, to where it can be considered a love letter to that type of gothic horror, and takes aim at the monstrous legacy of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet with a sharp commentary on the normalisation of fascism that is, in some aspects, more terrifying than blood-sucking activity.
Certificate: 12A Running Time: 124 mins UK Distributor: All the Anime UK Release Date: 30 August 2023 WHO’S IN THE FIRST SLAM DUNK? (ENGLISH VERSION) Paul Castro Jr., Jonah Scott, Aleks Le, Ben Balmaceda, Aaron Goodson, Abby Espiritu, Zeno Robinson, Yong Yea, Brent...
Apocalypse Clown is a largely obnoxious comedic take on the end of the world, which isn’t without its strengths but ultimately lacks the laughs and smarts to avoid falling face-first into a custard pie.
Mercy Falls is a wildly generic wood-set slasher that follows the template so closely, complete with stock characters who do endlessly dumb things, that it is hardly even worth remembering afterwards, aside from some decent cinematography and a couple of fine performances.
Sound of Freedom conveys a powerful message with a mixed execution, deploying heavily manipulative tactics and sluggish editing alongside some strong cinematography and a well-intentioned but conventional script to leave it as a thriller that’s simply okay.
The Equalizer 3 is an uneven final entry in the vigilante trilogy that suffers from a slow and sleepy pace that makes most of the action feel unengaging or subdued to a fault, but it is made less mundane by an ever-charismatic lead turn by Denzel Washington, and his charming on-screen chemistry with Dakota Fanning.
Certificate: 15 Running Time: 88 mins UK Distributor: Lionsgate WHO’S IN COBWEB? Woody Norman, Lizzy Caplan, Antony Starr, Cleopatra Coleman, Luke Busey, Aleksandra Dragova, Debra Wilson WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA? Samuel Bodin (director), Chris Thomas Devlin (writer),...
Certificate: 15 Running Time: 99 mins UK Distributor: Met Film Distribution WHO’S IN THE INNOCENT? Louis Garrel, Noémie Merlant, Roschdy Zem, Anouk Grinberg, Jean-Claude Pautot, Yanisse Kebbab WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA? Louis Garrel (director, writer), Tanguy Viel...
Vacation Friends 2 is an awful comedy sequel that contains no laughs, no heart, no charm (even from its main cast, who can’t replicate their easy chemistry from the previous film), and no reason for it to exist other than to give its filmmakers an excuse to go on a luxurious holiday while putting zero effort into making a product with substance.