Dan Gilroy’s third feature as director, Velvet Buzzsaw, has the all strengths of his first, Nightcrawler, and flaws of his second, Roman J. Israel, Esq. It’s a pulpy, viciously entertaining hodgepodge of a film, benefitting from bountifully thrilling conceits but suffering from the lapses of a frustratingly potholed script. At every turn, an a-lister is to be found revelling in roles that demand performative excess and there is great joy to be had in witnessing the ascent of Zawe Ashton to the big time. If only the script were smarter, this would likely be an all-time horror classic.
We’ve all got our favourites. You know the ones, those Christmas films that come out once a year to warm our hearts on cold winter nights. With many of these available to watch on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Sky Go with subscriptions, we’ve rounded up the best of the best.
There’s no denying Kurt Russell’s credentials as cinema’s coolest Santa. Whereas Richard Attenborough gave the legend a twinkle and Tim Allen made him an everyman, Russell offers a wry, Elvis impersonating twist. It’s a bummer, then, that the film around him is so bloomin’ lame.
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