Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 39 minutes, Director – Harris Dickinson

Released from prison after assaulting someone trying to help him, Mike (Frank Dillane) is trying to turn over a new leaf, however addiction battles and the prospect of becoming homeless again threaten a downward slope.

Harris Dickinson’s feature debut as writer-director isn’t a glitzy, mid-budget piece with a starry cast. The actor has risen dramatically over the last five years, and is set to play John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ upcoming Beatles movies, but Urchin marks an assured, if still occasionally finding the ropes, voice behind the camera.

Reminiscent of Ken Loach’s later work, Urchin begins with young Mike (Frank Dillane) homeless, trying to find a way to get a drink before finding a quiet, dry place to sleep at night. However, after being released from prison for assaulting and robbing a man offering to buy him some food (Okezie Morro’s Simon) he aims to start afresh. Employed in a hotel kitchen the work is stressful and acceptance from some co-workers rubs against tensions with others, mirroring his outside aims to stay calm and make amends with Simon with the help of counselors, and the struggle to maintain sobriety.

While more interpretative, metaphorical moments of imagery don’t always seem to land the potential intended effect they’re infrequent in the highly naturalistic surroundings of the narrative. Mike is a sympathetic figure, although the more time we spend with him in the second half the more his behaviour becomes difficult to watch, especially the more isolated he finds himself from the rest of the world.

The second half of the film might not quite be on the same level as the brilliant first half, but there’s still enough present to keep engagement and interest. What causes things to slightly lose their footing is the feeling that there are perhaps just one too many stages to the journey we see Mike take. He encounters various faces in a short amount of time and their times in his life appear to become briefer, signalling the growing downward slope that’s starting to form.

Dickinson, who also appears in the film as Nathan, another homeless man we’re introduced to in a moment of key confrontation with Mike, clearly establishes the kind of director he wants to be, and takes inspiration from, with this debut. Like the film, there’s a quietness to his direction which leans into the world and characters, and I look forward to seeing what he does in future behind the camera.

With his central performance, Dillane too marks himself as a name to watch on the British indie film scene, alongside a number of the supporting faces including Karyna Khymchuk, who appeared earlier this year in the excellent On Falling. There’s a quietness to many elements of the film as things are focused on pushing the characters and the drama of Mike’s various battles.

While there might be one stage too many and the drifts into metaphor don’t entirely click, Urchin is still a solid, naturalistic indie debut with quietly assured work in front of and behind the camera, landing an effective punch even in its slightly more uneven second half.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 42 minutes, Director – Paul Thomas Anderson

When their location is revealed, a former revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his teenage daughter (Chase Infiniti) are separated and caught between running and chasing.

Not even shakey-chair 4D can create the feeling of your stomach leaping and dropping with the rise and fall of a rollercoaster, yet in the tension of a car chase Paul Thomas Anderson can. The camera lies low, almost touching the road; racing along the rise and fall of the almost empty track of hills. Occasionally cutting to the rear-view mirror or long shots of the surroundings, there’s a growing tension throughout the chase, heightened by the internal thrills that Anderson conjures up.

It’s a feeling brought to a number of the action sequences throughout the writer-director’s latest, much of which is centred around running and chasing. Former revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio) finds himself caught between the pair when, after 16 years of hiding, his location is revealed and he must find his teenage daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), before escaping.

DiCaprio, alongside Jonny Greenwood’s excellent score of rumbling, fluid tension, perfectly captures the rushing panic and fear or Bob’s mind as he’s thrown into a situation he may have thought would never arrive, albeit still some way prepared for it. Hot on his tail, alongside Willa’s, is Colonel Steven Lockjaw (Sean Penn); a familiar face to Bob’s partner Perfidia (Teyana Taylor) – leading much of what we see when it comes to the early revolutionary and chase action in the film. With a consistent scowl on his face, Penn brings a darkness to Lockjaw with a fearful anger easily brought to the surface in the wake of anything that delays or gets in the way of his hopes and plans.

Anderson and editor Andy Jurgensen often cut to his perspective in-between Bob, Willa and other parties who may be involved in the various hunts at play with ease. Yet, even with a near three-hour run-time there’s little that feels irrelevant or as if it’s overstuffing the film in any way. The screenplay is certainly tight, and one of the strongest of the year, with occasional patches of dry humour amongst the grander bursts of chaos as Bob, donning large sunglasses to both remain hidden and not show he’s stoned, fails to remember passwords and coded phrases he hasn’t had to use for 16 years.

Intentional breaks in the action might mean there’s a slight break from the fast pace of the extended sequences they appear between, but for the most part there’s a consistent pace to One Battle After Another. One brought about through the constantly moving nature of the events – like cogs on a treadmill – and the tension that grows throughout the sequences, especially as forces preventing Bob from reuniting with his daughter get closer to either of them.

As a chase and action movie Anderson has created something very effective, however the wider narrative and context that’s given – the world of still-connected revolutionaries and how they keep track of things – adds further detail and more to the relationships at hand. Indeed, the film wouldn’t be the same if we were just thrown in and didn’t see Bob’s relationship with Perfidia form over the course of their revolutionary action, all brilliantly captured by cinematographer Michael Bauman, or the ways in which their lives in some way diverge once they become parents. It’s this that provides not just context but the lens through which the rest of the film is viewed, increasing the suspense and eventual chaos as everything kicks off in the sprawling race DiCaprio’s frenzied protagonist embarks on to reach his daughter before it’s too late.

The idea of hiding, chasing and fleeing takes on different guises and meanings throughout as the situations the characters, particularly Bob, find themselves in change depending on the plan, or lack of, that not just they have but those after and in front of them also do. The shifts and layers throughout emphasise the constantly moving nature of the narrative and the momentum that the film has as a whole with solid effect. It reminded me at one point of Mad Max: Fury Road, although not largely confined to machines and vehicles. Largely in terms of the scale and aforementioned movement of the film, and the feeling of a nearby threat also caught up in the rushed frenzy. Part way through I sat amazed that Warner Bros would stump up at least an estimated $130 million for this, but the final rather un-studio product, they seem to have had difficulty marketing it, is very much worth it. With the elements coming together for a tense, thrilling set of frantic yet connected chases.

While in-between sequences may be more of a slow down than a breather, much of One Battle After Another captures the chaos between fleeing and chasing. With DiCaprio and Jonny Greenwood on great form multiple cat-and-mouse situations converge with a rising tension and consistent thrill.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 49 minutes, Director – Kogonada

After meeting at a wedding, David (Colin Farrell) and Sarah’s (Margot Robbie) rental cars direct them to isolated doors which take them back to key moments in their lives and relationships, which have caused them to hold off on starting new ones.

There’s little lead in to the Charlie Kaufman-esque opening of A Big Bold Beautiful Journey. After finding his car clamped, David (Colin Farrell) travels to a barely decorated warehouse with only two cars, a desk and a banner in – signing The Car Rental Agency. The moment, jumped into from the bright city streets, is our main introduction to the fantastical ways of the next 90 minutes or so. Although, the dialogue, especially when mixed with Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s dipped-in-and-out-of German accent and strange set of randomly dropped f-bombs, feels more off-kilter than fantastical; and sits slightly at odds with the more whimsical implications of the opening scene’s tone.

After being pressured to also hire a sat-nav in case his phone “craps out” he ventures to a wedding and on the way back is asked by the system (voiced by Jodie Turner-Smith) if he would like to go on a big bold beautiful journey. Passionately he appears to shout yes – we see him accept from outside the car – and off to Burger King we go. It’s here we re-meet Margot Robbie’s Sarah. The pair met at the aforementioned wedding with mixed results from their handful of conversations, but after talking again there seems to have been something – not that either will commit. Both are hesitant to enter into another relationship for fear of hurting the other person or being hurt themselves.

Over the course of their big bold beautiful journey together they are directed to multiple isolated doors which take them back to key moments in their lives and past relationships which have either not had the resolution or time with they would perhaps like or have made them who they are today. The vibrant colours of each location visited adds to the picturebook quality brought about by the mixture of cinematography, production and costume design. Visually the film is a consistent treat with many frames that I could gladly hang up and get lost in. However, it’s hard to get lost in the first few flashbacks as they seem to be dashed through with the main aim of these actually being the introduction to the film and its workings after the prologue.

When the flashbacks, largely to childhood in the first half, are given time and look more at the emotional side of things for the characters rather than just relationships – writer Seth Reiss appears to often split the two up, and finds the most success when focusing on the former or managing to combine the pair – there’s more to enjoy. A highlight involves Farrell reliving his high school production of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, whilst also demanding that he be cast in a musical (I wouldn’t mind seeing him taking the lead in The Music Man), before trying to change how things went with the girl who turned him down. Meanwhile, Sarah frequently goes back to her relationship with her late mum (Lily Rabe), where emotions once again get prioritised, and the film comes closer to breaking her out of the manic pixie dream girl archetype.

As the delves, rather than flashes, of jumping into the past and finding some resolve with it is prioritised and given time the central journey, and its characters, strengthen. What starts off as a real jumble of tones and ideas starts to create engagement. It’s during the musical sequence that I started to sit up more and feel myself grabbed by the film and what it was doing, as if it had found its stride. Things might occasionally jump into feeling busy or focusing more on the less interesting points, or rather just thinking of relationships without the emotional aspects, but there’s still enough to help the film along and see it through. Plus, even during points where things dipped I found myself still having an admiration for the film as it was clearly trying something and making some swings, and even if they didn’t all pay off, especially to start with, there was still something to appreciate about that.

While it might occasionally seem a bit jumbled, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey works best when it taps into its characters emotions and the resolves they seek. Consistently trying something and visually brilliant even during moments that don’t quite get the time or spark they need there’s still something to appreciate.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 15 minutes, Director – Constantine Costi

As competitors travel across the world to take part, Charlie Miller prepares for his final year as chieftain of the World Porridge Making Championship in the quiet Scottish village of Carrbridge.

The Golden Spurtle isn’t cynical, fun-poking or insincere. It doesn’t embrace its subjects in a strangling bear hug either. Instead, much like the titular award, it’s a charming and admiring observation of the World Porridge Making Championship, held annually in the small village of Carrbridge, Scotland.

Chieftain Charlie Miller, overseeing the build-up to the event and the creation of spurtles, has taken charge for over 20 years, with the documentary following his final championship before retiring from the role. Alongside him we meet the various characters across the village who volunteer to bring things together each October. They have a knowing humour to them, aware of their quirks and eccentricities, and it’s one of the things that director Constantine Costi appears to admire most. Through this unassuming nature a natural charm comes through, gently flowing throughout the film.

While the air of competition grows and there’s a seriousness from the various competitors all but one still treat things with a lightness (and love of porridge). It seems that the two key, leading factors of The Golden Spurtle are what allow the film and the championship to work so well – porridge and the village of Carrbridge, the small, close-knit quaintness of which is effectively captured by the cameras. There’s a sense of pride from and about both elements which infuses the documentary, this isn’t a mere oddity or quirky annual happening, it’s something that’s genuinely looked forward to and enjoyed. To some extent it’s a shame that we only get to spend 75 minutes in the village’s endearing company – especially when you discover that there’s also an unseen speciality competition alongside the regular porridge championship.

Yet, that short run-time of just over an hour still allows for time to be taken with the elements of the film and given to the figures who crop up. For the eccentricities to come through and certain shots to linger on the moment and scenery. Perhaps this could be a 30-45 minute short-film, but the documentary feels better for that not being the case and adding to the various people involved in the central celebration. By the time the actual competition came around I had a smile spread across my face that was difficult to remove.

A gentleness is brought in early on as we first arrive in Carrbridge and learn about the start of the championship, including Charlie reciting a poem about porridge and joke at expense of England, and it continues right to the very end. From the opening stages the film naturally gets you to leave any pretensions or cynicism behind as it welcomes you in to a world of warming comfort and porridge. Almost instantly engaging, The Golden Spurtle is a warm, sincere look at a porridge competition which calmly watches and admires the proud quirks and eccentricities in both the competitors and the organisers which help make it happen.

Its own bowl of warm, simple comfort The Golden Spurtle is a charming documentary which quietly observes and admires the quirks and eccentricities of the central porridge championship and the quiet village at the centre of it.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 24 minutes, Director – Rob Reiner

15 years since they last worked together, Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, Michael McKean) reunite for one final concert, if past tensions don’t get in the way.

Reviews have criticised Spinal Tap II for not being a commentary on the current music scene, or at least that as it stands for bands that have been touring for decades. However, The End Continues isn’t that film. There may have been elements of commentary and reaction to rock docs and bands of the late-70s early-80s in the 1984 original, but this long-delayed sequel is more a follow-up for the characters who have lived on in albums and live performances that just that one film.

Spinal Tap took on another life following on from the often-quoted original and that’s somewhat seen in the concert sequence that everything builds up to in this sequel. The band have been apart for 15 years and are working in cheese and guitar shops (Christopher Guest’s still slightly clueless Nigel Tufnel), glue museums (Harry Shearer’s Derek Smalls) or making music for podcast intros (Michael McKean’s David St. Hubbins). After fallings out it’s revealed that the trio still have one final concert to do, and have only two weeks to prep (and find another new drummer).

The wit and quotability may not be as present in the once again largely-improvised set of scenes but there’s still an amusing nature to most instances, even if they don’t quite raise laughs. There are odd chuckles here and there, although not much that’s laugh-out-loud funny, but there’s still something about the characters, and just as importantly the music, which holds engagement. Amongst cameos from the likes of Elton John and Paul McCartney wandering in to the rehearsal room where much of the film takes place, the music starts to be put more front and centre with full performances. Performances which mange to successfully work perhaps because the cast appear to be buying into the music as much as the characters – even during some of the sillier songs.

The central trio still clearly enjoy playing these characters and getting totally lost in them, and when they’re allowed to lead a scene and just back and forth with each other, or director Rob Reiner’s fictional director Marty DiBergi – who appears to be more present here than before – that’s where some of the funniest moments arrive. During more freewheeling scenes where perhaps the most spontaneous improvisation lies – Nigel Tufnel playing around with a constantly growing peddle board delivers a handful of amusing lines in particular.

There may be a number of clear gags that do fall flat, but there’s enough within the tone and style of Spinal Tap II that means that it can see itself through. Maybe if I’d seen this with a bigger audience – instead of just three other people, each on their own and spread out in almost opposite corners of the cinema – then I’d have had a different experience if jokes continued to fall flat. But, as it was there was sporadic chuckles and different things working for different people – and it didn’t seem as if anyone was hating the film. Some perhaps allowing it to pass the time, which it did for 84-minutes, a suitably short run-time that knows it needs to be just that, but at least finding something there to allow that to be the case.

For what there is, however, it’s clear that the film could have turned out a lot, lot worse than it actually is. The chuckles that The End Continues provides, particularly when the characters lead the scene and create their own situations, create enough consistent engagement to see things through, alongside the various song performances which crop up along the way.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues may not quite be turned up to 11, but even if not frequently funny there’s at least enough volume in chuckles, amusement and the music to keep things going for the short run-time, especially when the characters are allowed to lead the scene and run with an idea.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 48 minutes, Director – Francis Lawrence

50 teenagers take part in The Long Walk, maintaining a speed of at least 3mph or they get shot. Last one standing wins.

The Long Walk may not be as bleak as Frank Darabont’s adaptation of The Mist, but it certainly isn’t amongst the happiest of Stephen King adaptations, and certainly doesn’t have the life-affirming nature that some have found in The Life Of Chuck. It’s a downbeat look at another dystopian future where teens are battling in a last one standing contest with deadly results for the losers – fittingly, frequent Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence helms here.

50 teenagers from across the US are invited via optional lottery to take part in The Long Walk. Once given the sign to start by Mark Hamill’s gruff, state-message repeating Major they must keep a minimum speed of 3mph without stopping or straying from the path, otherwise they’re shot by the soldiers travelling in camera-holding military vehicles alongside the walkers. The protagonists are given warnings blared through speakers on the truck crawling behind them. If further in front these warnings, and eventual gunshots, echo with a haunting dread in the background – we’ve seen the gory consequences already.

The cast, led by the great duo of Cooper Hoffman (frequently crossing his arms across his chest as if to protect or comfort himself) and David Jonsson as #47 Raymond Garrity and #23 Peter McVries – initially reluctant to making friends knowing the fate almost everyone will likely meet before needing the friendship to get them through the trial – each display the growing panic and tiredness experienced as the days and miles go on. Ben Wang puts in a particularly effective physical performance, especially as his character gets quieter and quieter the more distance is covered, holding some of the most impactful moments encapsulating the darkness of the surrounding dystopia.

Tensions rise amongst the cast, mixed with the fear they’re experiencing as their numbers lower. Anger and desperation start to mix, especially in contrast to the ill-fated friendships formed. All well captured in the performances and overall flow of the film. The Long Walk certainly feels like one of King’s more difficult-to-adapt books, originally published in 1979 under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, however thanks to the consistent movement of the film and development of events there’s a maintained engagement throughout. One that makes the most of the on-edge nature of the weakening and injured characters which is put onto the audience.

Details of the world, and how the country got into the state it’s in, are given away in natural conversations about the walk, those watching from the side of the road and how the contenders came to take part in the first place – with the offer of a big cash prize, a wish granted and becoming a sign of hope for everyone struggling in America.

The journey is consistently downbeat and shocking with the brutal sights we see. Yet, not enough to have turned me away completely. There’s hope in the bonds we see form, even if some do lead to inevitable pain and tragedy. Tragedy which is established early on and continues to hang over the fatal walk.

A downbeat journey with consistent shock and pain that transfers from the characters in their growing fear and desperation, The Long Walk still has signs of hope in the bonds formed between the brilliantly performed protagonists, even if it does lead to inevitable tragedy which hangs over the film.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 2 hours 4 minutes, Director – Simon Curtis

1930, a new era has well and truly arrived and for some at Downton Abbey that may mean moving on and passing on the mantle, if financial woes don’t bring an end to everything.

Regardless of your relationship with Downton Abbey The Grand Finale is very much more of the same. How you respond that depends on your relationship with Downton Abbey. For those, like myself, who have never seen the series – in my case outside of the films – there seems to be a lot going on but it largely boils down to Downton facing financial struggles amidst signs that with the changing era the ways of the Grantham family may be becoming a thing of the past. Also, there’s a build-up to a county fair. Both involve the line of Michelle Dockery’s Lady Mary being almost turned away from society for being a divorced woman.

For those who are fans of the series there’s, as with the previous films, a good deal more involving the many characters, new and returning, which will more than likely engage and entertain. There’s much talk on different levels about retirement and promotions, all done with a loose enough bow to allow this to be a grand finale rather than the grand finale.

Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) is reluctantly facing the fact that he may soon have to pass on leadership of Downton, however with fellow Lords and Ladies selling off their grand houses due to the rising expenses of both London and the dawning ’30s it seems he may have to do the same. However, Lady Grantham’s (Elizabeth McGovern) brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) is also having troubles after the previous year’s Wall Street crash, although new friend Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola) is helping him see it through.

Everything is treated with little major stress or worry, this is a world where everything can be resolved with a dinner party, although there are some occasional raised voices. Mirroring the idea that this is more posh people having posh people problems, for which it’s rather difficult to feel much emotion about. There’s general watchability and engagement, and some amusement to be found – particularly as Jim Carter’s retired-again Mr Carson and Sophie McShera’s soon-to-be head cook Daisy are invited to join the county fair committee, to the disgust of Simon Russell Beale’s Sir Hector Moreland, against the idea of any input from mere servants. I could have gladly spent two hours watching a film just about this strand with its slight British underdog angle.

There are continued beats from previous films about characters being gay, although with this still being the early-20th century closeted – although there are aspects of this third film that feel like its less the society depicted and more the film being frustratingly scared to talk about sexuality; aside from one line spoken by Arty Froushan as Noël Coward. It’s a small point in the film that’s lightly brought up between Dominic West and Robert James-Collier’s characters but it still feels strained and awkwardly danced around when done so.

It contributes to more of the same from Downton. Generally watchable enough for outsiders, although how much there is to properly care about is a different matter, and with a good deal of everything and everyone for fans. This is a quaint, untroubling alleged finale for the Grantham family.

Once again, fans will get the most from the good deal that’s clearly going on in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. But for casual viewers there’s a fine enough, if unaffecting, closing chapter here.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 35 minutes, Director – Haruo Sotozaki

The hunt for demon Muzan (Toshihiko Seki) leads the Demon Slayer Corps to fall into a neverending castle where they must fight multiple upper rank demons whilst trying to escape.

If 2021’s Mugen Train, the first feature adaptation of hit anime and manga series Demon Slayer, was the express train, holding consistent action with a rarely dropped pace, then Infinity Castle is the delayed multi-stop one. While I still haven’t seen any of the TV series this continues from, as apparently the first of a trilogy of Infinity Castle films, it’s easy enough to get to grips with where things are from the opening few minutes. Young Tanjiro (Natsuki Hanae) and fellow Demon Slayer Corps members are thrown into what seems to be another universe, a neverending, ever-shifting landscape of floors, walls, platforms and buildings. Whilst trying to hunt demon Muzan (Toshihiko Seki) in the confusing environment they must also face strong, upper rank demons, none of whom appear to be able to defeated in the usual ways.

In total there are only a few action upfront fights that make up the lengthy 2-and-a-half-hour run-time of the film. And rather than action being broken up with dialogue the style of Infinity Castle is more flashbacks, internal monologues, verbal exchanges, more internal monologues, opponent analysis and further internal monologues broken up with the occasional sword strike before diving into more of the former. The action itself is exciting and certainly has an impact both in terms of the visual style and intensity of the sequences. But, such moments feel constantly stalled by the eventual dives into lengthy flashbacks and dialogue.

It’s likely for fans of the show, and those more familiar with the narrative so far, that the film will work best, for those, like myself, who are coming to this relatively fresh then there’s perhaps a lot that might seem like overlong and unnecessary. Especially when it comes to the fact that one encounter which is drawn out for at least 45 minutes, if not more, feels as if things are about to kick off again multiple times before another flashback of internal monologue is cut to. It makes for a very drawn out and unevenly paced set of events which starts to hinder the impact of the action.

There are still points of interest and things to keep engagement, the first demon to be properly battled is an enjoyably playful and taunting force (voiced by Mamorou Miyano) and there’s effect in some of the flashbacks. However, the more the run-time goes on the more drawn out it starts to feel and as if the events of the film could have been condensed into something more concise, or at least more evenly paced. The stops in the brief flashes of action, and displays of powers and forces at play, are the biggest issue for this seeming first Infinity Castle instalment.

The idea of the endless nature to the world in which the characters appear to have entered are shown in brief shots as the ‘camera’ travels through it, effectively establishing the difficult task of just getting through it, let alone adding demons to the mix. For more casual viewers it may seem as if not a great deal has happened by the end of the long run-time, although for fans there’s likely a more emotionally engaging and affecting time to be found. Either way, there’s a lot to get through to get to the end, much of which slows down the thrills of the core action.

Infinity Castle’s overlong run-time appears to be formed by constant flashbacks and internal monologues disturbing the flow and excitement of the action sequences. There are still elements to like in the world and its fantastical elements, but they often feel briefly glimpsed amongst the growing sidetracks.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 15 minutes, Director – Michael Chaves

Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren are brought out of semi-retirement to take on one more case, involving a haunted item from their past terrorising a family home.

I’ve referred to the Conjuring franchise, and its various spin-offs, as horror movie cliché bingo on a number of occasions. Even more frequently I’ve criticised the ‘quiet, quiet, Bang!’ style of scares which have defined the franchise. Yet, when it came to the last instalment in the main series focusing on fighters of the paranormal Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farmiga) Warren, The Devil Made Me Do It, I found a film that clicked with me more than the others – and I don’t think because of the still-under-restrictions COVID era where new big releases continued to be somewhat scarce.

Last Rites, the fourth and apparently final instalment of the main Conjuring films, claims to depict the toughest, most life-changing case ever faced by the Warrens. One which would unexpectedly span over 20 years and call back to their past. Having semi-retired, now going around colleges giving talks about their experiences with the paranormal to bored students who want to know if they’re like the Ghostbusters. However, when it seems that they could be the only people to rid the house of the Smurl family of demons they turn up to do whatever they can.

The point at which they arrive is likely closer to 90-minutes into the film rather than 60. The Warren’s past, current life with daughter Judy (Mia Tomlinson) introducing her boyfriend Tony (Ben Hardy) and the growing fear of the Smurl family after the introduction of a mirror to their household as a confirmation present for daughter Heather (Kila Lord Cassidy) all construct the various point built-up before the horror properly kicks off. There are some intended creepy scenes, largely involving the Smurl family, but much of what we see is more showing the Warrens life and distance away from the lives they once led, especially in the wake of Ed’s heart problems.

Yet, when the horror does start to kick off more frequently it all feels rather abrupt. A rushed set of sequences which hammer away at the aforementioned quiet, quiet, Bang! style which so easily leads to predictable attempts at scares. In total throughout the film’s 135-minute run-time I found only one effective scare, involving a sudden movement from Annabelle before the moment shifts into something more ridiculous.

What dampens the horror further once the Warrens and Smurls team-up to take on the possessed mirror causing the chaos in the house is the fact that for something that is meant to be the couple’s toughest and most personal case ever it all seems to be tackled with little strain from or pressure on them. The difficulty doesn’t feel cranked up at all, yet the opening and closing text pushes the fact that this was the case that caused them to stop this kind of work altogether. The noise is ramped up with screaming, shouting, clattering, thudding and the rising score, but none succeed in raising the fear factor or tension. The main feeling I got from the film was boredom as the same formula was once again being repeated. However, while this does seem to be a final outing for Wilson and Farmiga as the Warrens, whether that’s repeated for the last time for this franchise, as claimed, remains to be seen.

Another case of predictable scares for the Warrens pushes the feeling that, despite how often we’re told it is, this is far from the couple’s toughest case. As the horror sequences start to repeat boredom settles in more than it did in the lengthy build-up.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 2 hours 13 minutes, Director – Spike Lee

Music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) gets an anonymous call demanding $17.5 million for his kidnapped son (Aubrey Joseph), only the start of a chain of events which will pull him in multiple directions.

It’s a bold move to try and remake Kurosawa. While Living did a good job of translating Ikiru into the stiff-upper-lip manner of the same era (the early 50s), Spike Lee has taken High And Low, and its based-on American novel King’s Ransom, and planted it firmly in the streets of New York City. There’s a confident stride and swagger to the film as the opening credits appear against the camera sweeping across the sparkling skyline to Oh What A Beautiful Mornin’.

Cue music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) – the man with the best ears in the business, even after 25 years. However, as major deals for the future of his record label and himself are about to be finalised David’s day takes a sudden turn. After a belcony conversation with his wife (Ilfenesh Hadera) the camera views his reaction to the phone call demanding $17.5 million for the return of his son, Trey (Aubrey Park) from behind a window. Quickly walking back inside he explains what’s happening, desperately trying to keep a calm exterior.

Soon, detectives are populating the penthouse trying to do everything they can to locate Trey and his kidnappers, alongside the son of David’s chauffer, Paul (Jeffrey Wright – effortlessly bouncing off of Washington in multiple contexts), Kyle (Elijah Wright). From here Lee builds up heat outside of the initial dramatic thriller in how he views the police’s rush to help the wealthy King and pushing aside/ lack of regard for Paul in almost the same situation.

The plot moves along well particularly during extended sequences where the action sensibility is ramped up. Scenes set on the New York subway are full of detail and tension as they flow like the movements of the cart. Capturing the rush of multiple perspectives as they near a goal, yet still fear something will go wrong. These moments are backed by Howard Drossin’s score. just about avoiding repetition in these moments and adding to the build up of tension. However, outside of such moments the music feels overbearing and at times completely unnecessary, threatening to take you out of the picture completely – like an intensified version of recent scores for Almodóvar films, where I’ve had similar feelings.

Things get somewhat lost in the final 20 minutes where an overlong feeling appears in the eventually stretched run-time, but beforehand the pace is largely kept up with the links between developments in the evolving narrative which pulls Washington’s character and his mind in multiple directions. Washington is on typically strong form, and he and Wright bring a feeling of stage performances to their turns in this film which add to the drama at hand.

Committing to the roots of its location and the identity that brings, Highest 2 Lowest is a well-charted, if overlong, thriller that keeps its developments and stakes exciting, with Washington and Wright’s performances managing to speak over an overbearing score.