Pourfaraj is superb in the lead, his Massoud stiff-backed, primly moustached, yet achingly human.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Pourfaraj is superb in the lead, his Massoud stiff-backed, primly moustached, yet achingly human.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Both girls deliver exceptional performances in the powerful opening section, and if the film struggles to make the same impact afterwards, that serves to bring Hasna’s loss into sharp relief.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Both girls deliver exceptional performances in the powerful opening section, and if the film struggles to make the same impact afterwards, that serves to bring Hasna’s loss into sharp relief.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Shot in square format, the film keeps us close, closed-in, forcing viewers into the same overwhelming intimacy that Kate is experiencing.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Shot in square format, the film keeps us close, closed-in, forcing viewers into the same overwhelming intimacy that Kate is experiencing.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It all seems to co-create a picture of a world of the emotional post-apocalypse.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

It all seems to co-create a picture of a world of the emotional post-apocalypse.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

There are strong supporting performances from a relatively small cast, but they pale in comparison to Stewart.

~ Andrew Robertson -

There are strong supporting performances from a relatively small cast, but they pale in comparison to Stewart.

~ Andrew Robertson -

What Sentsov does really well here is to show us the humanity which lies within even the most monstrous of these men.

~ Jennie Kermode -

What Sentsov does really well here is to show us the humanity which lies within even the most monstrous of these men.

~ Jennie Kermode -

If Kruithof’s main ambition with Promises is to make audiences debate and ponder over the relationships between politicians and the public then it is definitely succeeds in its efforts to bring these puzzling and interesting topics to light.

~ Stephanie Brown -

If Kruithof’s main ambition with Promises is to make audiences debate and ponder over the relationships between politicians and the public then it is definitely succeeds in its efforts to bring these puzzling and interesting topics to light.

~ Stephanie Brown -

A potent rejoinder to the hypermasculine, explicitly transphobic values of the Bolsonaro regime.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A potent rejoinder to the hypermasculine, explicitly transphobic values of the Bolsonaro regime.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Campion treats the material with such well-mannered reverence that you begin to wish that not just the characters, but she too, would loosen up a bit.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Campion treats the material with such well-mannered reverence that you begin to wish that not just the characters, but she too, would loosen up a bit.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Bareisa successfully contrasts the slow long takes and great blocking, making it a well-balanced watch that will engage you on multiple fronts despite its withholding of many common cinematic devices to facilitates its ambivalence.

~ Nikola Jovic -

Bareisa successfully contrasts the slow long takes and great blocking, making it a well-balanced watch that will engage you on multiple fronts despite its withholding of many common cinematic devices to facilitates its ambivalence.

~ Nikola Jovic -

Milena Smit is a relative newcomer. This is only her second feature and she has real presence.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Milena Smit is a relative newcomer. This is only her second feature and she has real presence.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Beyond the enjoyably unpredictable narrative, you can feel Giménez's love of the possibilities of cinema more widely.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Beyond the enjoyably unpredictable narrative, you can feel Giménez's love of the possibilities of cinema more widely.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

This is quite simply the best performance of the year, blowing everything else out of the water.

~ Jennie Kermode -

This is quite simply the best performance of the year, blowing everything else out of the water.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The characters are beautifully drawn, the relationship between mother and son forming the bedrock of the film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The characters are beautifully drawn, the relationship between mother and son forming the bedrock of the film.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Sengupta has created a colourful, multi-layered and rich work that can be read in many ways, despite its flaws.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

Sengupta has created a colourful, multi-layered and rich work that can be read in many ways, despite its flaws.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

These are easy targets although there’s a lot of enjoyment to be hand in seeing them hit so accurately.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

These are easy targets although there’s a lot of enjoyment to be hand in seeing them hit so accurately.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

With impressive cinematography at every stage, the film hinges on two magnificent slow, circular sequences, one in the middle and one at the end, each of which resets the narrative.

~ Jennie Kermode -

With impressive cinematography at every stage, the film hinges on two magnificent slow, circular sequences, one in the middle and one at the end, each of which resets the narrative.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The juxtaposition of showing a woman who so carefully and artfully constructs every aspect of her life with the totally natural performances of the children, especially little Ninon, adds great dimension.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

The juxtaposition of showing a woman who so carefully and artfully constructs every aspect of her life with the totally natural performances of the children, especially little Ninon, adds great dimension.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

The film also gets hung up on its two time-period structure, without greatly benefiting from it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film also gets hung up on its two time-period structure, without greatly benefiting from it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film comes into its own because of Gyllenhaal's non-judgemental perspective, even sympathy, for the small suffocations of motherhood.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The film comes into its own because of Gyllenhaal's non-judgemental perspective, even sympathy, for the small suffocations of motherhood.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

If Matuszyński’s film tends towards soap opera in places and could definitely do with a trim here and there, its long running time does allow the grind of what happens to play out in ways that emphasise the sheer slog of it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

If Matuszyński’s film tends towards soap opera in places and could definitely do with a trim here and there, its long running time does allow the grind of what happens to play out in ways that emphasise the sheer slog of it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

It’s a film which some viewers will find exhausting to watch, hammering home its emotive points rather than letting us explore on our own. Within this, however, there are some surprisingly delicate performances.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It’s a film which some viewers will find exhausting to watch, hammering home its emotive points rather than letting us explore on our own. Within this, however, there are some surprisingly delicate performances.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Everyone involved here has done better elsewhere.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Everyone involved here has done better elsewhere.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Servillo has spent much of the latter part of his career playing narcissistic characters, and he’s perfectly cast here.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Servillo has spent much of the latter part of his career playing narcissistic characters, and he’s perfectly cast here.

~ Jennie Kermode -

This film bears strange and delightful fruit without affecting its sweetness, its surprise.

~ Andrew Robertson -

This film bears strange and delightful fruit without affecting its sweetness, its surprise.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It is cleverly animated, intelligent and full of passion. Unfortunately, its mingling of the repetitive musical style of Noh with modern metal riffs, whilst it seems to please some viewers, will leave others wanting to scream for all the wrong reasons.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It is cleverly animated, intelligent and full of passion. Unfortunately, its mingling of the repetitive musical style of Noh with modern metal riffs, whilst it seems to please some viewers, will leave others wanting to scream for all the wrong reasons.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A fascinating study of a man whose talent was never really recognised by the mainstream.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A fascinating study of a man whose talent was never really recognised by the mainstream.

~ Jennie Kermode -

The group of speleologists in Il Buco are housed in the storage room of a church, a sublime decision by the filmmakers that gives Berta ample opportunity to visually connect the scientists of the early Sixties with the splendour of Renaissance paintings.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

The group of speleologists in Il Buco are housed in the storage room of a church, a sublime decision by the filmmakers that gives Berta ample opportunity to visually connect the scientists of the early Sixties with the splendour of Renaissance paintings.

~ Anne-Katrin Titze -

Despite being rather on the nose in terms of his plot beats, del Paso has an eye for a strong image and a psychological feel for the insidious viewpoint of the adults, washing over the children like a bad benediction.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Despite being rather on the nose in terms of his plot beats, del Paso has an eye for a strong image and a psychological feel for the insidious viewpoint of the adults, washing over the children like a bad benediction.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Diwan lets the cold hard facts trickle in as weeks are marked off at the bottom of the screen.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Diwan lets the cold hard facts trickle in as weeks are marked off at the bottom of the screen.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A continually shifting style, with moments of brilliance and other scenes which feel structurally derivative, threatens to overwhelm the story.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A continually shifting style, with moments of brilliance and other scenes which feel structurally derivative, threatens to overwhelm the story.

~ Jennie Kermode -

There is an exercise in nostalgia from the fonts in the credits that seem serif-perfect to the liberal reapplication of Carpenter's original score.

~ Andrew Robertson -

There is an exercise in nostalgia from the fonts in the credits that seem serif-perfect to the liberal reapplication of Carpenter's original score.

~ Andrew Robertson -

The end result could do with less tangent and more of the gent himself.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The end result could do with less tangent and more of the gent himself.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The multi-layered emotional consideration of themes, in particular the clash of cultural traditions and modernity - the building up of the city mirroring the destruction of the people within it and the natural landscape - are resonant and engaging.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

The multi-layered emotional consideration of themes, in particular the clash of cultural traditions and modernity - the building up of the city mirroring the destruction of the people within it and the natural landscape - are resonant and engaging.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Gravel cleverly works the tempo, so we feel the occasional moments when Julie almost gets to relax, but that keep being snatched from her, more acutely.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Gravel cleverly works the tempo, so we feel the occasional moments when Julie almost gets to relax, but that keep being snatched from her, more acutely.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

While it's hard to say that Fabricius's film is completely fresh, it is undoubtedly up-to-date and effective.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

While it's hard to say that Fabricius's film is completely fresh, it is undoubtedly up-to-date and effective.

~ Mateusz Tarwacki -

A film that is big on mood in general even if its structure and overall storytelling are weak by comparison.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A film that is big on mood in general even if its structure and overall storytelling are weak by comparison.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

It is pretty.

~ Andrew Robertson -

It is pretty.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Corbucci's influence on Tarantino can be seen, heard - as can his passion.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Corbucci's influence on Tarantino can be seen, heard - as can his passion.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Tightly wrapped doesn't begin to cover it.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Tightly wrapped doesn't begin to cover it.

~ Andrew Robertson -

Cassigoli and Kaufmann avoid major plot turns in favour of the more believable everyday things that many teenagers on the fringes encounter..

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Cassigoli and Kaufmann avoid major plot turns in favour of the more believable everyday things that many teenagers on the fringes encounter..

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Nikki has a light touch with a script that is able to see the funny side of things but which doesn't make light of the medical and societal situations that Jaakko and Sirpa are facing.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Nikki has a light touch with a script that is able to see the funny side of things but which doesn't make light of the medical and societal situations that Jaakko and Sirpa are facing.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Despite all of its shortcomings, 107 Mothers nonetheless, makes for quite a completing piece of filmmaking.

~ Nikola Jovic -

Despite all of its shortcomings, 107 Mothers nonetheless, makes for quite a completing piece of filmmaking.

~ Nikola Jovic -

A thoughtful consideration of not just physical prowess but the emotional agility and resilience demonstrated by those growing up in Gaza.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Along with Vladimir Gojun’s progressively rhythmic editing and Julij Zornik’s subjective sound design, the filmmaker takes us right into the protagonist’s, and therefore any and every teenager’s head.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

We Believe You works to perfection thanks to the dedication and stellar directing, acting and technical work.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

When you get old, hope you find someone who looks at you the way Mascaro looks at Tereza and Roberta.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

There’s an anarchic silliness about it which suits the science fiction setting, an openness to having fun and delivering a story unselfconsciously, on its own terms.

~ Jennie Kermode -

As Blue Moon progresses it becomes clear that the one thing Hart really wants is to be wanted.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Ridley may not be in the top league of current action stars but she can handle herself, and she is at any rate more convincing as a former soldier than she is as a member of the working class.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Sandbag Dam is powered by stellar, deeply lived-in performances by the young and budding actors.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

The viewer has to be keyed into Akerman's cinematic language, how she portrays boredom, claustrophobia, isolation.

~ Donald Munro -

Fund encourages us to tune in to the energies of the trio, the subtle shifts of mood, shared moments of understanding or joy.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Without Blanche Gardin, who carries the whole film, The Incredible Snow Woman would be a mix of generic dramedy and equally generic comedy that simply tries too hard to send quirky and “subversive” vibes.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

An atmospheric, beguiling piece of work.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A pretty empty and tiresome experience.

~ Marko Stojiljkovic -

A collection of early films by Chantal Akerman.

~ Donald Munro -

Øverbye makes a compelling lead, taking on the chunks of voiceover without any problem but also excelling in terms of conveying her character’s moods via body languag

~ Amber Wilkinson -

A moody, unsettling piece.

~ Jennie Kermode -

A sometimes compelling, often baffling work that doesn’t really solve the inherent problem of its subject matter, but swings for the fences trying.

~ Jeremy Mathews -

With a lesser canine star, the film would not have worked, but Nala is sensational.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Easily delivering on the big emotional beats, The Six Triple Eight is a natural crowd pleaser.

~ 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 -

With a lesser canine star, the film would not have worked, but Nala is sensational.

~ Jennie Kermode -

This is a film that seems somehow subtly different every time you watch it, full of tantalising possibilities.

~ Jennie Kermode -

It’s an anarchic mess – the sort of film the Joker himself might have made, and that’s part of its triumph.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Coppola has style, but sometimes employs too much of it.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

This is a tactile retelling, inviting us to imagine the sticky feel of Coca-Cola on hot skin in the sun or the heat of a sheepskin coat and the love that goes with it being passed from mum to daughter ahead of a trip abroad.

~ Amber Wilkinson -

Cat’s viewpoint predominates, and Zilbalodis has an acute understanding of how the world looks from its point of view, of what catches its attention and how its body follows instinctively.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Hodierne handles the blend of styles within the film with a laid back confidence that makes it easy to lower one’s guard at the wrong moments.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Ridley may not be in the top league of current action stars but she can handle herself, and she is at any rate more convincing as a former soldier than she is as a member of the working class.

~ Jennie Kermode -

Nobody plays lazy like Jeff Bridges. You could say he was born to it. Or rather, he's such a good actor he makes it look as natural as an unmade bed.

~ Angus Wolfe Murray -