Bleak and spare... would be deeply depressing were it not so absurdly funny.

~ Anton Bitel -

Bleak and spare... would be deeply depressing were it not so absurdly funny.

~ Anton Bitel -

Although the comedy feels as broad as the Atlantic initially, once the main characters are transplanted to Pakistan things look up as the script begins to properly probe the emotional flaws of the characters rather than just opting for cheap laughs.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Although the comedy feels as broad as the Atlantic initially, once the main characters are transplanted to Pakistan things look up as the script begins to properly probe the emotional flaws of the characters rather than just opting for cheap laughs.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Walker's documentary is moving, life-affirming and challenges what you think you might know about these people who pick through the rubbish.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Walker's documentary is moving, life-affirming and challenges what you think you might know about these people who pick through the rubbish.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The Trip is a big costume drama without the costumes.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

The Trip is a big costume drama without the costumes.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

The contrasts in education, class and outlook between likable buffoon Aidan and his 'straight man' Tom, though certainly funny, also come with an underlying pathos, as both men struggle to find their place in the world

~ Anton Bitel -

The contrasts in education, class and outlook between likable buffoon Aidan and his 'straight man' Tom, though certainly funny, also come with an underlying pathos, as both men struggle to find their place in the world

~ Anton Bitel -

A true original, collapsing and cross-fertilising all manner of shifting ideologies in the best unlikely pairing since Laurel and Hardy.

~ Anton Bitel -

A true original, collapsing and cross-fertilising all manner of shifting ideologies in the best unlikely pairing since Laurel and Hardy.

~ Anton Bitel -

In many ways, The Taqwacores is punk movie-making by numbers.

~ Jennie Kermode -

In many ways, The Taqwacores is punk movie-making by numbers.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Morris traces this perfect tabloid tale in all its hilarious, sad and bizarre particulars.

~ Anton Bitel -

Morris traces this perfect tabloid tale in all its hilarious, sad and bizarre particulars.

~ Anton Bitel -

The gradual slip into tragedy in the film's last few reels offer up a reeling pathos rare in a Svankmajer picture.

~ James Benefield -

The gradual slip into tragedy in the film's last few reels offer up a reeling pathos rare in a Svankmajer picture.

~ James Benefield -

Performances are strong throughout the film, generating an effective mixture of simultaneous sympathy and anger in the audience.

~ David Graham -

Performances are strong throughout the film, generating an effective mixture of simultaneous sympathy and anger in the audience.

~ David Graham -

Ayoade’s aesthetic choices as well as his many cinematic nods make the film a genuine treat for the cinephile set, but not to the extent of alienating those who may not grab the references to Bergman, Roeg, or the French New Wave.

~ Andrew Grant -

Ayoade’s aesthetic choices as well as his many cinematic nods make the film a genuine treat for the cinephile set, but not to the extent of alienating those who may not grab the references to Bergman, Roeg, or the French New Wave.

~ Andrew Grant -

Spork may pluck the heartstrings but its does so with an askew sense of humour free of Hollywood schmaltz.

~ Neil Mitchell -

Spork may pluck the heartstrings but its does so with an askew sense of humour free of Hollywood schmaltz.

~ Neil Mitchell -

Lacking any sort of critical distance or self-reflection, it’s merely a wafer-thin portrait of an artist suffering from… something.

~ Andrew Grant -

Lacking any sort of critical distance or self-reflection, it’s merely a wafer-thin portrait of an artist suffering from… something.

~ Andrew Grant -

Gast's documentary has an effortless charm.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Gast's documentary has an effortless charm.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Alexey Fedorchenko's elegiac and moving film marries melancholic longing with absurdism and presents its fiction in the cloak of facts.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Alexey Fedorchenko's elegiac and moving film marries melancholic longing with absurdism and presents its fiction in the cloak of facts.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Its occasional flashes of quirkiness are never enough to justify its overstretched duration.

~ Anton Bitel -

Its occasional flashes of quirkiness are never enough to justify its overstretched duration.

~ Anton Bitel -

Route Irish just about overcomes these shortcomings in its portrayal of the de-humanising consequences of modern warfare.

~ Robert Munro -

Route Irish just about overcomes these shortcomings in its portrayal of the de-humanising consequences of modern warfare.

~ Robert Munro -

There's a creepiness here from the outset and no amount of dark humour can alleviate it; as the tension escalates grown adults will also find themselves hiding behind the seats.

~ Jennie Kermode -

There's a creepiness here from the outset and no amount of dark humour can alleviate it; as the tension escalates grown adults will also find themselves hiding behind the seats.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The twisting narrative is rendered skilfully so that it is easy to follow even as allegiences and alliances shift, and there is plenty of space to revel in the complexity of the characters.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The twisting narrative is rendered skilfully so that it is easy to follow even as allegiences and alliances shift, and there is plenty of space to revel in the complexity of the characters.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Veteran actress Yun Jeong-hie, who came out of a 15-year retirement to take on the role of Mija brings a fragile beauty and strength to the part, lending her character an air of inscrutability that is intriguing rather than frustrating.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Veteran actress Yun Jeong-hie, who came out of a 15-year retirement to take on the role of Mija brings a fragile beauty and strength to the part, lending her character an air of inscrutability that is intriguing rather than frustrating.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Full of striking imagery which, once seen , will stay with you forever.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Full of striking imagery which, once seen , will stay with you forever.

~ Jennie Kermode -

In between helicopter shots of the glorious landscape and the slightly irritating finger-wagging, there's a good story here with a sprinkling of jaw-dropping moments.

~ James Benefield -

In between helicopter shots of the glorious landscape and the slightly irritating finger-wagging, there's a good story here with a sprinkling of jaw-dropping moments.

~ James Benefield -

Sampat is a subject so complex and compelling, so fearless and flawed, that in the end the documentary itself is drawn into her irresistible orbit no less than she dominates all the people and situations around her.

~ Anton Bitel -

Sampat is a subject so complex and compelling, so fearless and flawed, that in the end the documentary itself is drawn into her irresistible orbit no less than she dominates all the people and situations around her.

~ Anton Bitel -

We are reintroduced, through the most improbably modest of routes, to the extraordinary power that cinema can have to galvanise a community and bring it together.

~ Anton Bitel -

We are reintroduced, through the most improbably modest of routes, to the extraordinary power that cinema can have to galvanise a community and bring it together.

~ Anton Bitel -

More a portrait than a narrative film, it may place viewers in park for its relatively brief duration rather than drive them in any particular direction, but Eckman's subjects are so wittily articulate that the film just offers one quotable zinger after a

~ Anton Bitel -

More a portrait than a narrative film, it may place viewers in park for its relatively brief duration rather than drive them in any particular direction, but Eckman's subjects are so wittily articulate that the film just offers one quotable zinger after a

~ Anton Bitel -

Beautiful imagery and subtle acting sustain it well, but still the pace will be too slow for many.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Beautiful imagery and subtle acting sustain it well, but still the pace will be too slow for many.

~ Jennie Kermode -

If this sounds grim, it is, but it keeps the audience engaged thanks to a beautifully judged script and a keen sense of the absurd.

~ Jennie Kermode -

If this sounds grim, it is, but it keeps the audience engaged thanks to a beautifully judged script and a keen sense of the absurd.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The humour and emotion are so sharp you might not feel them at the time, but Mullan's film cuts deep and leaves its mark.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The humour and emotion are so sharp you might not feel them at the time, but Mullan's film cuts deep and leaves its mark.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, having more the feel of a gallery installation than a feature film.

~ Jeff Robson -

It’s definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, having more the feel of a gallery installation than a feature film.

~ Jeff Robson -

Never Let Me Go arrives trailing a lot of hype and carrying a considerable weight of expectation. Happily, it more than delivers.

~ Jeff Robson -

Never Let Me Go arrives trailing a lot of hype and carrying a considerable weight of expectation. Happily, it more than delivers.

~ Jeff Robson -

Along with her eye for composition, Reichardt also deserves praise for the focus on the smaller period details.

~ Owen Van Spall -

Along with her eye for composition, Reichardt also deserves praise for the focus on the smaller period details.

~ Owen Van Spall -

Anchored by Depardieu's unflinching performance and his sheer physicality, the film mixes melancholic nostalgia and mordant satire with a strong sense of the absurd.

~ Anton Bitel -

Anchored by Depardieu's unflinching performance and his sheer physicality, the film mixes melancholic nostalgia and mordant satire with a strong sense of the absurd.

~ Anton Bitel -

It has nearly everything that filmgoers loved about Alfredson's Swedish original – except the originality.

~ Anton Bitel -

It has nearly everything that filmgoers loved about Alfredson's Swedish original – except the originality.

~ Anton Bitel -

The film's action ultimately moves to a borderland between not just France and Spain, but also crime thriller and love story, dreams and reality.

~ Anton Bitel -

The film's action ultimately moves to a borderland between not just France and Spain, but also crime thriller and love story, dreams and reality.

~ Anton Bitel -

Director Oliver Shmitz does a good job of balancing the immediate, visible tragedy of the characters we follow with a wider, national problem.

~ James Benefield -

Director Oliver Shmitz does a good job of balancing the immediate, visible tragedy of the characters we follow with a wider, national problem.

~ James Benefield -

Although there is a lot of humour, crowd-pleasing fun and some award-worthy performances, there seems to be a lack of edge and darkness here.

~ James Benefield -

Although there is a lot of humour, crowd-pleasing fun and some award-worthy performances, there seems to be a lack of edge and darkness here.

~ James Benefield -

A whip-smart, often very funny family drama, presenting observations on domestic life that are all too uncomfortably recognisable.

~ Anton Bitel -

A whip-smart, often very funny family drama, presenting observations on domestic life that are all too uncomfortably recognisable.

~ Anton Bitel -

Squarely aimed at a student demographic, the entire affair plays out like an episode of Scooby Doo on acid with the added fuel of frequent sex.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Squarely aimed at a student demographic, the entire affair plays out like an episode of Scooby Doo on acid with the added fuel of frequent sex.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The picture is a claustrophobic, intimate jumble... The terrific sound design is instrumental as well.

~ Paul Griffiths -

The picture is a claustrophobic, intimate jumble... The terrific sound design is instrumental as well.

~ Paul Griffiths -

It’s kind of a good film, but it’s kind of an irritating one too.

~ Jeff Robson -

It’s kind of a good film, but it’s kind of an irritating one too.

~ Jeff Robson -

Charles Ferguson's documentary - unlike the subject matter he is broaching - makes a virtue of economy.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Charles Ferguson's documentary - unlike the subject matter he is broaching - makes a virtue of economy.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A work of chilling beauty, whose sparse, unforgiving landscapes can accommodate all manner of allegorical readings.

~ Anton Bitel -

A work of chilling beauty, whose sparse, unforgiving landscapes can accommodate all manner of allegorical readings.

~ Anton Bitel -

The real standout performance is Franco’s.

~ Jeff Robson -

The real standout performance is Franco’s.

~ Jeff Robson -

Dolan – in all his incarnations – has proved himself a name to watch here.

~ Jeff Robson -

Dolan – in all his incarnations – has proved himself a name to watch here.

~ Jeff Robson -

The moneyed, beautiful bourgeoisie cooly emoting the eloquent travails of a menage á quatre.

~ Paul Griffiths -

The moneyed, beautiful bourgeoisie cooly emoting the eloquent travails of a menage á quatre.

~ Paul Griffiths -

A feel-good recognition that nobody’s perfect, despite the ideal lifestyles we’re marketed.

~ Paul Griffiths -

A feel-good recognition that nobody’s perfect, despite the ideal lifestyles we’re marketed.

~ Paul Griffiths -

There is plenty of intriguing historical backdrop to this story, and Chadwick manages to incorporate much of it without losing focus on the very personal subject at the film's centre.

~ David Graham -

There is plenty of intriguing historical backdrop to this story, and Chadwick manages to incorporate much of it without losing focus on the very personal subject at the film's centre.

~ David Graham -

The thrilling archival clips and charismatic talking heads alone would make a fabulous documentary in the most traditional sense, but the judicious use of music really brings the film alive.

~ David Graham -

The thrilling archival clips and charismatic talking heads alone would make a fabulous documentary in the most traditional sense, but the judicious use of music really brings the film alive.

~ David Graham -

A dizzying array of original and masterly techniques.

~ Chris -

A dizzying array of original and masterly techniques.

~ Chris -

Shot over three years, the film treads a line between documentary and fiction... and it combines extreme naturalism with surprisingly avant-garde techniques.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Shot over three years, the film treads a line between documentary and fiction... and it combines extreme naturalism with surprisingly avant-garde techniques.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A journey from time immemorial, played out in a contemporary drama with sensitivity and an eye that will not flinch from the pain that is involved.

~ Paul Griffiths -

A journey from time immemorial, played out in a contemporary drama with sensitivity and an eye that will not flinch from the pain that is involved.

~ Paul Griffiths -

There's something increasingly bland and uninvolving about this Will Ferrell vehicle which, like him or loathe him, you've got to admit is a kind of achievement.

~ James Benefield -

There's something increasingly bland and uninvolving about this Will Ferrell vehicle which, like him or loathe him, you've got to admit is a kind of achievement.

~ James Benefield -

The cinematography is jarringly stunning, with episodes of pursuit and suspense broken up by breathtaking vistas of harsh landscapes.

~ David Graham -

The cinematography is jarringly stunning, with episodes of pursuit and suspense broken up by breathtaking vistas of harsh landscapes.

~ David Graham -

There is no other film in the apocalypse subgenre that quite matches its low-key approach to the unravelling of the human species.

~ Anton Bitel -

There is no other film in the apocalypse subgenre that quite matches its low-key approach to the unravelling of the human species.

~ Anton Bitel -

The film is adapted from the book Elisa Kiseljak by Lolita Bosch and its origins hang like a millstone round its neck courtesy of ponderous and never-ending narration.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film is adapted from the book Elisa Kiseljak by Lolita Bosch and its origins hang like a millstone round its neck courtesy of ponderous and never-ending narration.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

We shouldn’t feel so obviously manipulated and steered away from everything else towards the leads’ performances.

~ Paul Griffiths -

We shouldn’t feel so obviously manipulated and steered away from everything else towards the leads’ performances.

~ Paul Griffiths -

This understated moodpiece is a real treat for those in tune with Lucrecia Martel's brand of nuanced suggestiveness - and is full of pretty pictures for everyone else.

~ Anton Bitel -

This understated moodpiece is a real treat for those in tune with Lucrecia Martel's brand of nuanced suggestiveness - and is full of pretty pictures for everyone else.

~ Anton Bitel -

At times the tone gets hysterical and there are moments of utter ridiculousness, but there are smart layers of black satire underlying the proceedings and any extreme material ends up helping emphasise the journey into murderous insanity the film takes us

~ Owen Van Spall -

At times the tone gets hysterical and there are moments of utter ridiculousness, but there are smart layers of black satire underlying the proceedings and any extreme material ends up helping emphasise the journey into murderous insanity the film takes us

~ Owen Van Spall -

This is bravura filmmaking.

~ Anton Bitel -

This is bravura filmmaking.

~ Anton Bitel -

There is a full-throttle, head-long feel to Trapero's film that sends it careering along.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

There is a full-throttle, head-long feel to Trapero's film that sends it careering along.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Lean's bridge-building drama doesn't grip as much as its reputation promises.

~ Stephen Carty -

Lean's bridge-building drama doesn't grip as much as its reputation promises.

~ Stephen Carty -

Overall, East meets West with mutual respect, but this debut is still an uneven, mismatched effort.

~ Paul Griffiths -

Overall, East meets West with mutual respect, but this debut is still an uneven, mismatched effort.

~ Paul Griffiths -

There's potential with no pay-off, desolation with little downslide.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

There's potential with no pay-off, desolation with little downslide.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Waiting for the chop, as it were, makes for a captivating and disquieting watch, an experience which Stever herself describes as sitting through a horror film.

~ Paul Griffiths -

Waiting for the chop, as it were, makes for a captivating and disquieting watch, an experience which Stever herself describes as sitting through a horror film.

~ Paul Griffiths -

No-one has ever come close to Simon's performance as the original screen Boudu.

~ Jennie Kermode -

No-one has ever come close to Simon's performance as the original screen Boudu.

~ Jennie Kermode -

As elegant and overblown as ballet itself.

~ James Benefield -

As elegant and overblown as ballet itself.

~ James Benefield -

Bardem gives a stronger, more all-encompassing performance here than we have seen in any of his previous films.

~ Val Kermode -

Bardem gives a stronger, more all-encompassing performance here than we have seen in any of his previous films.

~ Val Kermode -

Ramshackle, poignant and very British but capturing the sheer joy of being allowed to make music and prat about on stage for a living.

~ Jeff Robson -

Ramshackle, poignant and very British but capturing the sheer joy of being allowed to make music and prat about on stage for a living.

~ Jeff Robson -

Always moving and often downright terrifying it reminds us once again of some uncomfortable truths.

~ Jeff Robson -

Always moving and often downright terrifying it reminds us once again of some uncomfortable truths.

~ Jeff Robson -

Hogg has been praised for her bravery in making films about the contemporary middle class and she has certainly succeeded again here, sedately unfolding a web of universal issues with a deceptive simplicity.

~ Paul Griffiths -

Hogg has been praised for her bravery in making films about the contemporary middle class and she has certainly succeeded again here, sedately unfolding a web of universal issues with a deceptive simplicity.

~ Paul Griffiths -

A beautifully observed study of a small community remaining united in the face of seismic shifts.

~ Jeff Robson -

A beautifully observed study of a small community remaining united in the face of seismic shifts.

~ Jeff Robson -

Africa United is a simple, feel-good road movie that seems comfortable with its shortcomings.

~ Paul Griffiths -

Africa United is a simple, feel-good road movie that seems comfortable with its shortcomings.

~ Paul Griffiths -

Memory, reality, fact and fiction blend to give you a vivid 'feel' for the interviewees' recollections while being acutely aware that this remains a remembered reconstruction of the past.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Memory, reality, fact and fiction blend to give you a vivid 'feel' for the interviewees' recollections while being acutely aware that this remains a remembered reconstruction of the past.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Although the tragicomic episodes that make up Another Year seem casual and low-key, they encompass birth, death and everything in between.

~ Anton Bitel -

Although the tragicomic episodes that make up Another Year seem casual and low-key, they encompass birth, death and everything in between.

~ Anton Bitel -

The killer-for-hire subgenre takes on an abstract, existentialist complexion.

~ Anton Bitel -

The killer-for-hire subgenre takes on an abstract, existentialist complexion.

~ Anton Bitel -

There's some late in the day pathos which does pull at the heart strings, but the film falls flat once more with a half-baked open ended conclusion.

~ James Benefield -

There's some late in the day pathos which does pull at the heart strings, but the film falls flat once more with a half-baked open ended conclusion.

~ James Benefield -

Ultimately, what you see is what you get in 13 Assassins. Lots of blood and death and despicable cruelty.

~ Robert Munro -

Ultimately, what you see is what you get in 13 Assassins. Lots of blood and death and despicable cruelty.

~ Robert Munro -

If, like me, you’re a fully paid-up member of the Boyle fan club, this still has all the things you go to his movies for – imagination, heart, humour and a constant desire to try something new.

~ Jeff Robson -

If, like me, you’re a fully paid-up member of the Boyle fan club, this still has all the things you go to his movies for – imagination, heart, humour and a constant desire to try something new.

~ Jeff Robson -

There’s a genuine unpredictability to Honey Bunch, both structurally and thematically.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Where the episodes work is when they have a driving, kinetic energy about them. When they don't it's repetitious loop.

~ Donald Munro -

The film, directed by feature debutant Shaun Dozier, retains the density of dialogue you might expect from a stage play but, by leaning into the theatrical nature of the proceedings, Dozier is in some ways able to make this into a virtue.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A very effective piece of low budget storytelling.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Coogan is well cast in this tricky role, moving easily from humour to heartbreak..

~ Jennie Kermode -

Manizha Bakhtari may not be a household name but after watching Natalie Halla’s documentary you’re likely to think she ought to be.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Sung’s own camera plays tricks, placing objects too close in the foreground so that parts of an image are out of focus, like an incomplete memory.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The concept, narrative, dialogue, cinematography and action sequences are elements of Scanners that can't be faulted.

~ Donald Munro -

The film hangs on Pemberton’s performance, and he imbues Doug with a sweetness that makes us feel for him despite his deeply misguided actions.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The screenplay written by the filmmaker and Andrea Piva is a proper masterwork, from the basic plotting to the intelligent, insightful dialogue.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

From the start, there is something different about this film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Despite the anger at the unfairness of what has gone before, this is ultimately a warm-hearted, life-affirming film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It is a ride, okay, and it is a bit nauseating and therefore not sterile.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

It’s also striking to think that when Leila is looking forward into the future, she is already, in some senses, looking at our recent past, which only reinforces the sense of the cyclical and ongoing nature of her themes.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Thorne still comes across as being at the stage where many aspects of her work are experimental. She’s yet to settle into her style.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The characters work well...but there’s never quite enough energy to events.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Ahmed doesn’t need to include war footage for us to feel its weight and understand its shadow.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The colour elements prove all the more striking when in contrast to black and white.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The beautiful cinematography, the bluesy jazz score and the gentle pace of the film are beguiling, but Masciari makes sure that we don’t lose sight of the ridiculous.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Shot over 17 years, it mingles intimate personal moments with visceral concert footage, its musical sequences knitted together with some of the best editing you’re likely to see this year.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A very effective piece of low budget storytelling.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Having set up all the elements of a thriller, the film proceeds to untangle them in a refreshingly different and mature way.

~ Jennie Kermode -

[Hart] doesn’t turn up the volume, but uses tone and repetition so effectively that the film becomes a microcosm of the real experience.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Once again, Guiraudie proves himself the master of setting up a mystery by the means of perfect script economy that functions strictly on “need to know” basis.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

It’s ironic that a film about a family who have built a perfect facsimile of a life for themselves should feel so overly constructed itself

~ Amber Wilkinson -