Those familiar with Dominic Mitchell’s BBC TV series In the Flesh may encounter a touch of déjà vu while watching The Cured. It’s more than just the matching premise – cured ‘zombies’ being reintegrated into a society unwilling to forget their mindless misdoings – it’s in the kitchen sink quality, the politics, the gloomy tone and saturated aesthetic. There’s even overlap in homoerotic subtexts. A first feature by writer-director David Freyne, The Cured has a broader scope but mixed results by virtue of it.
Hard that it is to quite keep up with the retirements and renewals of Studio Ghibli, the day of a new Japanese animation studio has dawned. Literally so, for Studio Ponoc takes its name from a Serbo-Croatian word referring to the beginning of a new day. There is, however, a great deal that is familiar about their visually gorgeous debut feature: Mary and the Witch’s Flower.
Andrew Haigh’s latest film is somewhat emblematic of his own career progression. After Weekend and 45 Years, Lean on Pete sees the director burst his spheres of British suburbia to explore new territories. Stateside, Haigh translates his favoured hues to broader horizons and brings empathy, irony and stoic realism.
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