★★★★
Much of the power within Chloé Zhao’s sophomore feature, which sees her return to Songs My Brothers Taught Me’s Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, evolves from the Chinese-American director’s exquisite blending of drama with documentary. Honest and engaged performances are teased from non-actors with real investment in the story to achieve remarkable stoicism.
★★★
Eli Roth’s family feature debut has a disappointingly clockwork constitution. The director is best known for gristly horror and certainly brings startling images to the 12A genre; just no sense of distinction. It’s a fun enough ride but with this plot, these characters and this house? It’s all a bit vanilla.
Continue reading The House With a Clock in Its Walls | Review
★★
If the Predator franchise must run ad infinitum – three dire sequels failed to kill it – subverting the tone to retro romping territory seems as good a way as any to proceed. That’s Shane Black’s approach in this instance. Black’s Predator is gory pulp but suffers from ropey editing and sadistic intent; even humour can’t save that.
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