Release Date – 25th March 2022, Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 23 minutes, Director – Iris K. Shim

Amanda’s (Sandra Oh) life of relative seclusion, with her teenage daughter (Fivel Stewart), is shattered when the ghost of her recently passed mother (MeeWha Alana Lee) begins to haunt her as her living situation threatens to change.

“I couldn’t live without you, and now I can’t truly die without you” echo the words of beekeeper Amanda’s (Sandra Oh) recently deceased mother (MeeWha Alana Lee) as she yet again haunts her in the dead of night. It’s been many years since Amanda escaped the trappings of her family life in South Korea to move to America, however with that has come her own personal seclusion. Yet, she seems happy with her idyllic lifestyle. Void of electricity, which she has an intense fear and banning of on her premises claiming to have an illness caused by it, she lives her life producing honey with her teenage daughter, Chris (Fivel Stewart). However, this calm and peaceful life in an isolated country house, only really seeing local shop owner Danny (Dermot Mulroney) when he comes to collect honey, is shattered when Amanda’s mother begins to haunt her.

It comes just as Chris begins to look into going to college, seeking her own sense of independence, and wanting to go out and make friends – particularly after meeting Danny’s niece, River (Odeya Rush). However, Amanda and her mother begin to reflect each other with views of their children abandoning them. There’s plenty of build-up to the core horror elements and a lot of context and exposition. Much of it is spoken by Oh as she explains the ways of Korean culture; which create effective key details within the narrative, reminded that children were to take on the duties of care towards their parents as they began to age, duties which she abandoned by moving to America. During certain scenes the film almost feels bogged down by the detail that it begins to go into when it comes to explaining the horror, instead of simply allowing the darkness to explain itself and be presumed by the viewer, as could easily happen.

Yet, amongst this we manage to get some personal notes that look into Amanda herself. They manage to flesh out the film that bit more and create a more personal edge to the character to push some of the more horror-infused moments throughout the short 83 minute course of the piece. While not anything intensely scary, and certainly along the lines of things we’ve seen before, there’s still an air of suspense every now and then that’s well built up and doesn’t always provide the expected jump scares, leaving the lingering tension with the viewer. It comes across in shots that appear to have been influenced by producer Sam Raimi, particularly those which aren’t plunged into almost complete darkness. They help to keep you generally engaged with the piece as it leans away from its coatings of context in scenes prior, allowing the viewer to simply understand through the visual and unsaid nature of such elements rather than being told everything by Oh, who otherwise gives a good leading performance.

She works well with Stewart to create a good mother-daughter pairing at the centre of the piece. The family nature helps to push some of the darkness and the horror and keeps the interest of the viewer as things pan out. They do so rather quickly with the time passing by well, perhaps helped by the fact that the run time is so short, with relative ease. There may not be any outright scares within that space, but there’s certainly some well-handled suspense which doesn’t ultimately rely on jump scares and better shows the inner fears and worries of both characters, particularly Amanda as their lives and living situations threaten to change in the face of their views and decisions. It speaks more than the more direct elements of context which come across in the dialogue of one or two scenes throughout the piece.

Yet, Umma certainly doesn’t speak directly to the audience from start to finish, and it’s better for it. Working best when allowing its narrative details and style to work together instead of taking turns. It takes a bit of time, but eventually there’s something lightly interesting and engaging within the film; helped along by its embracing of culture and the personal points for its characters.

While its context might speak a bit too directly to the audience, when it manages to wind it into the suspense created within some of the horror elements there’s an effective and interesting strand within Umma, helped along by the performances of Oh and Stewart.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 35 minutes, Director – “A Catherine Tate film” (No director credited)

Foul-mouthed OAP Joanie (Catherine Tate) finds herself taken on a road trip, by her grandson Jamie (Matthew Horne), to Ireland to meet her dying, estranged sister (Katherine Parkinson).

For those unaware of Catherine Tate’s Nan character, having first appeared on her sketch show in the early 2000s, she’s a foul-mouther OAP who once “knocked out a skinhead in Magaluf” and won’t turn down an offer of 2 for 1 Jagerbombs. Out of all the characters from The Catherine Tate Show, perhaps most notably Lauren ‘am I bovvered?’ Cooper, the one which appears to have lasted for Tate is Nan. There have been various attempts to do something with the character over the years, mostly in terms of the occasional special episode, however now comes the time for her to make her way to the big screen. Assisted, as usual, by grandson Jamie (Matthew Horne), Nan – actual name Joanie – finds herself taken, unwillingly, away from her ideal day spa trip in Coventry and instead on a detour to Ireland.

It follows a letter from her long-estranged sister, Nell (Katherine Parkinson), informing her older sibling that she’s dying. As nan and grandson travel across England and Ireland in a charity crafts van (the acronym Crafts Undo Negative Thinking – you can fill in the blanks for yourself – in bold letters on the side, a joke which appears in as many frames as possible, never to any response) Joanie details flashbacks to her younger life in the 40s, and a love triangle feud with her sister when it came to American solider Walter (Parker Sawyers). It’s during such sequences where some of the more uncertain jokes within the film are placed. One brief strand, quickly dropped, involves Joanie and Nell simply stating that Walter is black. Not with any offence or discrimination, just stating the fact that he is. In fact, Sawyers character feels there primarily not for the sake of the love triangle but to simply be the butt of some of the films most dated and laziest jokes. Gags which may have been more accepted 20 years ago, but now don’t just feel tired and dated, but most of all just off-taste.

Such patches don’t quite pair up with the running gags held within the craft van and the other modern day sequences. Extended moments involve constant belting out of Roll Call and discussion of Nan’s love of Fridge Raiders. One drawn out gag simply involves her listing off past presenters of Bake Off. During such moments it feels like the ramblings of the titular figure are all improvised, with Horne consistently script-bound, and then, much like the plot, pieced together in the editing room in the hope of something funny being produced. As if the screenplay simply said ‘Nan does something funny’ before jumping to the next location.

A technique which slightly matches the odd animation which moves a number of scenes along. It’s mentioned early on that Jamie does animations on YouTube, his subscriber count now in the low teens(!), and we get a taste of just what he’s doing. Multiple times the film jumps into sequences where paper cut-outs of the characters with bulging eyes, the looks and likes of which can be found in horror movies, race around the screen instead of simply having another scene, or jump cut, to get across the detail. Alongside strands which feel placed to simply push the run-time beyond 90 minutes, such patched simply feel as if they’ve, once again, been pieced together in the editing room. Trying to find something that can go link together to create a narrative of sorts which allowing Tate’s character to crack as many jokes in as many montages as she ‘needs’. Any attempt to make the audience laugh. Except, they don’t.

It’s not that the film is hateful. It’s not that it’s anything overly offensive. It’s simply the fact that The Nan Movie isn’t funny. Some moments feel as if they try too hard, others just pass by without getting any form of response. For much of the run-time you sit watching the screen, never really involved in what’s happening, and generally not responding. It’s likely that The Nan Movie will be quite forgettable viewing after a while. Perhaps going down as one of those British character/ sitcom adaptations. Remember The Harry Hill Movie? And yet, perhaps the most out-of-place and disappointing thing about it all is that it tries to end with a Chas And Dave track. After the 90 minutes or so that had just gone by Ain’t No Pleasing You would have seemed more fitting.

Fluctuating between what feels like mass improvisation and dated scripted gags no laughs arise from the road trip embarked on within The Nan Movie. Feeling pieced together in the editing room and never really engaging the audience. Perhaps one to skip going down to see.

Cert – 15, Run-time – 1 hour 56 minutes, Director – Adrian Lyne

Worried about his marriage, Vic (Ben Affleck) finds himself caught up in the various disappearances and deaths of his wife’s (Ana de Armas) close friends and lovers.

“Why are you the only man who wants to stay with me?” Ana de Armas’ Melinda quietly asks her husband, Vic (Ben Affleck), on a quiet family day out. “I don’t know” he responds, echoing many of the thoughts of the audience up until this point. While we’re led to believe that Vic wants his marriage to succeed, and will do almost anything to avoid divorce, the question often arises as to why. It’s screamed throughout much of Deep Water; these two characters actively dislike, if not hate, each other. Vic constantly stalks his wife at parties and gatherings as she introduces the neighbourhood to her latest potential lover, whether ‘disguised’ as an old friend or a piano teacher. Meanwhile, Melinda throws such events into her husband’s face with violent anger, as if trying to make him jealous, as if letting him know that she can do so much better, and there’s nothing he can do about it – after all, what is he going to do? Divorce her?

An early confrontation sees Vic corner Melinda’s latest friend, Joel (Brendan Miller), as he tells the story of how he apparently killed her last lover. It’s a story to which the truth is unknown, however Joel certainly believes it, and so do some other figures in the area. None more so than Tracy Letts’ Don, who begins to suspect Vic of multiple murders when more of Melinda’s suspected affairs go missing, or are found dead. As the events pan out there’s a slightly circling feeling about them as if beginning repeat themselves. The script as a whole certainly isn’t perfect, there are a number of clunkily written scenes and sequences – it doesn’t completely sit well when Affleck’s character (who appears to have mastered the art of looking sad) unnaturally greets someone with a returned “yo”… – and yet there seems to be enough within Deep Water from stopping it from going completely off the rails.

The initial feeling is that of a film-within-a-film. A sort of parody of erotic thrillers that pokes fun at the clichés of the genre. Although, after the first couple of scenes this manages to just about avoid the feeling of parody (and self-awareness, and any basis for this being an ‘erotic’ thriller) as the narrative begins to take shape and the tensions between the unhappily married couple rise. The drama plods along without any overall issues and while some elements bring a question to the mind they’re soon passed along within the extended nature to most scenes and sequences as the accusations made about Vic grow stronger, and yet nothing ever really changes.

Lil Rel Howery makes brief appearances as a friend of Vic’s. Yet, it’s unclear whether his character, Grant, is meant to be there for occasional comic relief or not. It feels as if Howery is playing the character straight, and yet the director and screenplay appear to want laughs. This idea is pushed further when the third act arrives, and along with it perhaps one of the messiest chases ever on screen. One in which, after everything that has happened so far and the over-heightened drama of a number of elements in the 15-20 minutes that have built up to this point, the realism truly comes through in that someone is hindered by autocorrect. It’s an oddly placed moment, even within this film and is perhaps the true point, where after wondering if it has for so long, it becomes clear that the film has gone off the rails.

The remainder of the sequence, and indeed the film, simply feels drawn out and uncertain as to where to go or what to do with itself. Throwing a number of hopefully feasible ideas into the mix and hoping that something good will come of them. While there are some amusing patches the general tone is that of ridiculousness and chaos. The decisions made are generally questioned and the ending as a whole feels uncertain of itself, simply leading to an extremely odd credits scene decision. It almost feels as if the final stages of the film have come from somewhere completely different, in a blind panic of needing to end things and not quite knowing how to. While what came before was slightly disjointed it was at least somewhat watchable, if not entirely great. And yet, the film eventually loses its paddle and gets caught within its own chaotic riptide of ideas. Although, a riptide nowhere near as violent as the hatred that the central married couple appear to have for each other, and the baffling confusion it creates when they talk about how much they apparently love each other and not getting a divorce.

A number of the elements that make up Deep Water aren’t great, yet for the most part there’s still something generally watchable. That is until things fall off the rails and become a sequence of undeveloped ideas and moments, trying to get to an uncertain ending.

Cert – Recommended 18+, Run-time – 1 hour 53 minutes, Director – Mimi Cave

After a series of bad dates, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) strikes up an intimate relationship with doctor Steve (Sebastian Stan). However, it’s not long until she discovers his hidden cannibalistic attitudes.

Just before its awards success truly started to take off Twitter decided, for a brief while, that the thing Drive My Car should really be celebrated for was the fact that its opening credits didn’t arrive until 42 minutes in. Well, with a run-time just over an hour shorter than Drive My Car, Mimi Cave’s feature directorial debut, Fresh, introduces its opening credits 33 minutes in. Just as the tone snaps into something more sinister and central figure Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) discovers some dark truths about her potential partner Steve (Sebastian Stan). Everything they’ve built-up over the somewhat quick development of their relationship in these first stages is shattered as it turns out that doctor Steve’s charismatic exterior lies on-top of cannibalistic attitudes and behaviours. Otherwise known as, he likes to eat human.

There’s no denying that Stan appears to be having a good time playing a slightly-knowing, not-quite-dead-pan villain. Enjoying a number of dance-like moments as he shares his palate-related tastes with various high-class figures who can afford the steep cost of properly prepared human flesh. There’s very much a sinister nature carried around the character with the casual way in which he discusses his life and tastes, which come as a fearful shock to Edgar-Jones’ Noa. While Stan is certainly the support when it comes to this film he’s often placed in focus as Noa’s circumstances, gradually learning more about the man she has become intimate with, somewhat restrict her at various points throughout the film. While there’s certainly a good performance put into the character it does feel somewhat reined in by the situation and focus on Steve and the impact that he has more than anything else.

Much of the events of the remaining 80 or so minutes after the opening credits are carried along in a similar style to those beforehand, although undeniably with a general change in tone. This well-captured by Cave’s direction as the film meanders relatively well through its various elements, introducing one or two more along the way to bring out some of the intended suspense and mystery. While this does end up extending the final stages a bit, feeling drawn out in trying to bring back and resolve such points which are referenced every now and then for what feels like a simple reminder for the viewer. While such points don’t quite feel inserted to simply push the run-time they do eventually end up circling to that feeling in the latter stages of the third act.

Yet, there’s still plenty to be interested and engaged in over the course of the film, particularly when it comes to what we learn about Steve, and how Noa reacts to her situation and their relationship. It’s undeniably the strongest part of the film and while it occasionally stalls to make way for other points its soon drawn back to and knows what to do to generally keep you in place, helped along by the two central performances and Cave’s direction. It may not always feel entirely like its title, but there’s certainly enough within such factors to keep the film going and the viewer interested for the time its on.

While not always focusing on its best elements, within the relationship between Stan and Edgar-Jones’ characters, there’s a well caught sinister air within Fresh which helps it along its sometimes meandering course.

Cert – 18, Run-time – 1 hour 46 minutes, Director – Ti West

When a group of young people hire an out-of-the-way Texas shack to make a pornographic film, the elderly couple who own the building begin to take against their actions, with murderous outcomes.

Over the years there have been plenty of sex-based reasons for killing sprees in slasher flicks. However, perhaps the viewpoint of elderly killers Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth) lies towards the slightly odder end of the scale. The idea that young people shouldn’t have sex because old people can’t. Perhaps it’s not as plain and simple as that, perhaps it’s a matter of frequency and openness; either way, they take against the actions of the group of (mostly) young people who are hiring out the shack just down from their own home as the group use the area to make their own pornographic film. One which will, at least in the eyes of director and cameraman RJ (Owen Campbell), blur the lines between porn and art film, and for older producer Wayne (Martin Henderson), could rival Debbie Does Dallas.

For much of the film we see the group, primarily future porn starlet Maxine (Goth), go about making their film. Occasionally encountering the disgruntled neighbours in-between loud and unashamed sessions of (hopefully) artful adult actions. The build-up is certainly lengthy and takes up most of the 106 minute run-time. However, there’s enough present to keep things going and hold your interest. The visual style and flare of the piece certainly puts you in the 1979 setting, while also helping to capture the feeling of classic 70s slashers. Largely this is down to the strong cinematography of Eliot Rockett, and West’s direction. While the opening puts in mind the obvious calls to the likes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre there’s luckily enough within X to draw a distance between the two and allow it to not feel like a remake of such.

It’s as the actual killing spree begins that things begin to somewhat dip. Pearl’s murderous streak grows as her husband is unable to meet her sexual wishes and desires due to a heart condition. Therefore killing those who can openly commit such depraved acts – the kind of which is severely frowned upon by that nice, very passionate, preacher on the television – and remind her that she and Howard can’t, is the only option. Much of the spree feels as if it happens all at once. Yet, the feeling of being slightly drawn and spaced out is also present due to the fact that each instance has its own build up and interaction beforehand. The general feeling of the third act is something slightly underwhelming with a number of the key eventual slasher moments feeling as if they just kind of happen and then move on to more build up for another kill.

Despite a good build up, with some effectively ominous suspense every now and then, there’s generally an underwhelming nature to the third act slasher nature of X. Perhaps it’s down to the slightly odder (although certainly nowhere near ridiculous or outlandish) motives of the killers and the scarce proper interaction they’ve had with the central group of aspiring porn-makers up until this point, or even the conflicting drawn-out yet (almost) all-at-once nature of the spree itself. Either way, it causes a dip in your engagement with the film as it goes on. And while luckily it doesn’t form the overall bulk of the piece it certainly feels as if it lasts a little while, particularly as the on-screen screams increase and a handful of inevitable stupid-ideas-in-a-horror-film come into play. Even the visual style kind of falls down as much of the intended horror plays out in the dark of night. And while there’s still a generally watchable nature your attention isn’t held as much as it is in the gradual suspense of the hour or so build-up.

With a strong visual style and ability to lean away from obvious references such as Texas Chain Saw you’re able to engage within X’s gradually unfolding build up. However, as the killing spree begins things dip as substance is lost and the piece slightly goes in circles.

Cert – 12, Run-time – 1 hour 45 minutes, Director – Shawn Levy

12-year-old Adam (Walker Scobell) finds himself trying to save the world and change the future when an older version of himself (Ryan Reynolds), from 2050, crash-lands in the wrong year attempting to find his missing wife (Zoe Saldaña).

Even if you know nothing about The Adam Project going into it, it’s obvious from the early stages that Ryan Reynolds is going to be in this, and exactly who he’s playing. This isn’t just because he’s in the opening scene, but because the younger, 12-year-old, 2022-based version of his character, Adam (Walker Scobell) makes plenty of the same wisecracks he’s become known for in much the same way when being confronted by the usual group of bullies he faces almost every day. It’s clear he’s playing Ryan Reynolds and it sets in something of a worry that Reynolds will also be playing himself, providing the usual schtick which is perhaps beginning to wear thin after the past few years. However, luckily, while there are such moments, which don’t overly fit well with the rest of the film, for both figures – more prominently from the younger – there’s plenty else aside to cause it to not be the core focus and drawing point of the film.

The reason that the two are meeting is due to time-travelling 2050 Adam (Reynolds) crash-landing in the wrong year when trying to both save the future and find his missing wife (Zoe Saldaña). As the idea of time travel is explored we get a narrative that jumps back and forth, mostly back, to various times and locations where the birth of time travel itself within this world is explored. How can it be changed to save the future, and what does it have to do with Adam’s father (Mark Ruffalo) who passed away in a car accident a few months earlier. As the film tries to explore such points it travels along relatively standard lines, especially as it jumps around in time and shifts to a slightly new focus within each new setting. It causes certain points to not feel quite as developed as they perhaps could be and slightly brings the film down when it comes to its narrative focus and detail.

Yet, perhaps the most engaging points in the film are the action sequences. While not all quite grab you and bring you further in to the piece there’s a certain style and flair to them that catches your attention and helps to heighten a fairly well-established tone throughout. There’s something about the film which throws back to family sci-fi flicks of the 80s, perhaps helped by director Shawn Levy’s work on TV series Stranger Things, and while the feeling isn’t always strong; occasionally providing more of a dated feel than that of a throwback, it’s certainly present in the second half of the film and somewhat helps to lift things up, particularly some of the set-piece moments in the third act.

While it might be fairly forgettable after viewing, for the time that it’s on there’s a watchable nature to The Adam Project. It doesn’t completely act as a throwback to 80s-style sci-fi features, but it certainly manages to move along relatively well, particularly when focusing on action rather than narrative. Reynolds and Scobell work well together and manage to avoid entirely doing the usual Ryan Reynolds routine and in general that alone kind of helps the film along too as they primarily lead the piece with the supporting cast getting quite little to do, despite some big names amongst them. Yet, they manage to lead the film well, helping it along its course and making for decent enough (12-rated) family viewing for the time that it’s on.

A slight throwback that never fully manages to capture the tone and feel of what it seems to try to throw back to, The Adam Project might not quite hit all the right notes throughout its time-jumping narrative, but it hits enough to make for watchable amusement, with some good action sequences, for the time it’s on.

Cert – PG, Run-time – 1 hour 40 minutes, Director – Domee Shi

13 year old Meilin (Rosalie Chiang) is going through the standard changes that come with growing up, however her outgoing confidence is shattered when a generational ‘blessing’ causes her to turn into a giant red panda whenever she gets emotional or overexcited.

As we’re introduced to the unashamedly herself Meilin Lee (Rosalie Chiang), it’s clear that the 13 year old protagonist of Pixar’s latest is overflowing with confidence. An outgoing personality who is ready to take the challenges and effects of growing up head on, it’s all part of her plan. Yet, despite containing a couple of dashes of humour – “and I will not hesitate to do a spontaneous cartwheel if I feel so moved” – the outgoing declarations of Meilin’s pride and confidence in herself in this introduction began to bring to mind thoughts of whether this attitude can be stretched over 90+ minutes without wearing thin and beginning to get somewhat irritating. It echoes a style that was contained within the trailers for this film, one which certainly gave me some initial concern.

How glad I am to have been proved so wrong so quickly. It appears that this was all part of the plan of the film. As co-writer (alongside Julia Cho) and director Domee Shi – who was behind the studio’s wonderful short Boa a few years ago – explores Meilin’s world shattering around her when the changes in life bring about a generational blessing turned “inconvenience” in the form of her transforming into an eight foot tall red panda every time she gets emotional or overexcited. It’s something that can easily be reversed, but in a month’s time with a ritual under the next red moon. Until then Meilin must learn to stay calm and control her inner panda, while riding the perilous tracks of crushes, her favourite boyband performing in town and school bullies. It’s a hazardous road and one which can easily be driven off, especially as Meilin tries to do her won thing in defiance of her usual family dedication, worrying and angering her concerned and uncertain mother (Sandra Oh) at each turn.

As a studio Pixar have become noted for their use of animation and fantastical elements and worlds to translate various themes and ideas to audiences of all ages – Inside Out and its point about necessary sadness is perhaps the biggest standout here – and while Turning Red certainly contains this it also tackles certain themes much more directly. Topics such as periods and mood swings are clearly displayed and simply treated as a fact of life, and indeed help to emphasise the ideas and points about growing up that the film holds so high. The narrative itself is fairly simplistic, following Meilin as she tackles with her panda form and the blessings and curses that it brings to her at this stage in her life, yet it all allows for the themes to lift the piece up and draw the viewer in to form a connection with the piece.

All helped further by the humour that is derived from a number of situations. While you certainly feel the shock and pure embarrassment of certain moments – particularly an early scene where Meilin’s mother confronts a seventeen year old convenience store worker her daughter appears to have a crush on, as if noone else is in the shop – there’s no denying just how much comedy there is throughout the film. This is perhaps Pixar’s funniest film to date, holding plenty of laugh out loud moments in most scenes and montages.

Yet, perhaps the thing that speaks mostly loudly about Turning Red is just who it appears to be speaking to. While Pixar have always catered to a family audience and worked on different levels for different ages – again, see Inside Out – here there are plenty of scenes which are clearly speaking directly to those of Meilin’s age. As if saying to them that it will indeed be alright in the end both individually and with family, even being set in 2002 – acting as something somewhat semi-autobiographical for Shi, although perhaps she didn’t literally turn into a giant red panda as part of a centuries old family (initially) blessing – helps push this idea. Although, none of this is ever shouted.

It’s all conveyed within everything that the film provides and does with its themes and ideas, which help to lift it up and do the most speaking on the various levels that the film products. Still containing the family-leaning moments of fantasy brought to life by fine animation, as has become expected from the studio, especially after the last decade or so. There’s quite a bit being juggled amongst Turning Red’s slightly stripped-back narrative, but it allows for the themes to speak more, particularly with an interesting edge for Pixar of speaking more directly about certain points to certain audience members. And it manages to hit it out of the park rather well.

Perhaps the studio’s funniest film to date, Turning Red signifies Pixar talking in a more direct manner, amongst their usual fantastical-tinted story and message telling, to a particular audience. It works and provides a slightly new view and angle for them that should bring everyone in for a solid 100 minutes.