★★★★☆ In the run-up to a regional hairdressing competition, the leading entrant is found mutilated. British director Thomas Hardiman’s debut film is a gripping, dizzyingly stylish thriller. With a tightly-woven plot, dazzling cinematography and a razor-sharp cast of characters, Medusa Deluxe is Brit neo-noir at its knotty best.
★★★★☆ The first of a two-parter, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is bigger, bolder and grander than its predecessor, and with little serious competition from Marvel or DC’s live-action factories, looks set to be the best superhero film of the year.
★★★☆☆ A man sits alone in a room with a notepad and begins to scribble down his own voiceover. He only writes on one page and seems to always be starting at the top. His thoughts will be meticulous and he will show a certain expertise. When he’s finished writing he will place the pen on the table, neatly aligned with the pad.
★★★★☆ When Western cinephiles cast their eye down Kinema Junpō’s top 100 Japanese films of the 20th century, they may be surprised to find themselves unfamiliar with the film placed at number five. The hundred-or-so critics polled for the list...
★★★★☆ Having originally made its UK debut almost two years ago at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado’s Rabies (Kalevet, 2010) went on to wow ardent horror fans at Film4 FrightFest where the film was given...
★★★☆☆ Based on Lee Child’s gun-ho creation, rumoured Mission: Impossible 5 director Christopher McQuarrie presents solid actioner Jack Reacher (2012), starring Tom Cruise in the title role and now available on DVD and Blu-ray. A solitary wanderer after tours of...