15 Jun 2023
The Listener review – Tessa Thompson outperforms an otherwise unmemorable film
The Creed actress compels in director Steve Buscemi's first feature effort in decades, though his film falls a little on the forgettable side
Articles by Emily Maskell
15 Jun 2023
Blood for Dust review – action-crime thriller gives us a career-best Kit Harington
The Game of Thrones actor stars opposite Scoot McNairy in this twisty tale of drug smuggling, set in the American Midwest
15 Jun 2023
The Graduates review – quiet school shooting drama is searingly powerful
Hannah Peterson's deft, heartbreaking debut film explores trauma through the perspectives of three people touched by tragedy
04 Apr 2023
Something You Said Last Night review – thoughtful, arresting tale of an untethered trans woman
Filmmaker Luis De Filippis makes her debut with this nuanced look at identity and togetherness, set over the span of a holiday family
04 Apr 2023
Egghead & Twinkie review – wholesome and captivating spin on the road trip flick
Sarah Kambe Holland’s debut feature, expanding on her short of the same name, pairs bold queer storytelling with a rich visual world
04 Apr 2023
Before I Change My Mind review – earnest recalibration of the coming-of-age drama
Trevor Anderson’s 80s-set debut reconsiders classic tropes of school bullying and self-discovery, though flirts with shallowness
13 Feb 2023
Sharper review – New York-set psychological thriller is unoriginally blunt
Despite a stacked cast and an intriguing set-up, Benjamin Caron’s twisty film eventually gets caught in its own web of cons
26 Jan 2023
Fair Play review – electrifying finance thriller gives us a Wall Street gender war
Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich play a clashing power couple in writer-director Chloe Domont's sharp debut feature
26 Jan 2023
Scrapper review – wonderfully imaginative and achingly real British dramedy
Harris Dickinson gives another sensational turn in writer-director Charlotte Regan’s stylish debut, a playful father-daughter story
24 Jan 2023
Other People’s Children review – evocative and swooning story of a stepmother
Rebecca Zlotowski's touching film, starring a luminous Virginie Efira, is an intelligent exploration of being child-free at middle age
23 Jan 2023
Sometimes I Think About Dying review – mediative portrait has Daisy Ridley’s best performance yet
Rachel Lambert's second film is an enigmatic look at high-functioning depression with a quietly mesmerising turn at its centre
04 Jan 2023
Piggy review – thrilling and contemplative sun-drenched Spanish horror
Writer-director Carlota Pereda's tense blend of coming-of-ager and teen slasher expertly avoids shallow reflections on body image
09 Dec 2022
A Love Song review – still and sweet ballad of late-life rekindling
Max Walker-Silverman’s subdued but unmistakably warm drama, starring Dale Dickey, quietly wrestles with monumental feelings
23 Nov 2022
Lady Chatterley’s Lover review – well-acted and raunchy Netflix adaptation
Emma Corrin impresses in Laure de Clermont-Tonnerr's sexually-charged take on the classic novel, though it fumbles the ending
17 Oct 2022
Bros review – a self-indulgent and fauxgressive gay rom-com
Billy Eichner's disappointing new film paints queer life at arm's length, opting for a sanitised perspective of the LGBTQ+ community
03 Oct 2022
1976 review – taut women-centric thriller pops with intrigue and colour
Actor-turned-director Manuela Martelli’s brilliant character study immerses viewers in the paranoid political landscape of 1970s Chile
16 Sep 2022
Do Revenge review – enjoyable but hollow Gen Z black comedy
Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes star in an entertaining though ultimately undercooked high school riff on Strangers on a Train
18 Aug 2022
Anaïs in Love review – beguiling and leisurely portrait of queer romance
Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet delivers a warm and comedic exploration of feminine desire that feels like a breath of fresh air
20 Jun 2022
The Princess review – Diana seen through a new kaleidoscopic lens
Ed Perkins' compelling but elusive documentary pieces together a troubled life using footage captured by the press, sans narration
16 Jun 2022
Fire of Love review – visually stunning portrait of two daring volcanologists
Sara Dosa’s reflective documentary offers breathtaking spectacle but is let down by an unstable narrative approach
13 Jun 2022
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande review – Emma Thompson on top form in refreshing sex dramedy
The beloved British actor finds a perfect match in Daryl McCormack with this original romance about a rendezvous in a hotel room
28 May 2022
Luzzu review – gripping, neo-realist tale of a Maltese fisherman’s survival
This heartfelt ode to life on the water from writer-director Alex Camilleri is as stoic in its execution as it is observant
17 May 2022
The Road Dance review – a remote and distant Scottish period drama
Great performances and rich atmosphere can't draw attention away from this film’s muddied sexual assault plot
06 May 2022
Wake Up Punk review – erratic and insubstantial recounting of anarchist rebellion
Nigel Askew’s indulgent documentary has bold intentions but it ultimately fails to realise any of the promise of its lead premise
30 Mar 2022
Wet Sand review – a sombre hymn to identity and self-acceptance
Elene Naveriani’s stylish and sorrowful queer drama is a moving account of grief in the face of adversity, set in her native Georgia
22 Mar 2022
Charli XCX: Alone Together review – immersive look at a pop star’s isolation
Bradley Bell and Pablo Jones-Soler's intimate doc explores the making of the musician's highly collaborative pandemic album
21 Mar 2022
Walk with Me review – sluggish romantic drama feels like a plodding hike
Isabel del Rosal’s debut feature offers up a hollow portrait of a lesbian relationship that bows to all the outdated clichés
21 Mar 2022
Camila Comes Out Tonight review – nuanced portrait of young queer life
This high school drama may teeter towards the conventional, but it also offers a timely and emotional look at Argentinian femininity
16 Mar 2022
Hive review – searing drama of womanhood and perseverance
In Blerta Basholli's moving portrait of Kosovan widows, a mother navigates her personal and professional life in the aftermath of war
09 Mar 2022
Red Rocket review – playful portrait of a faded porn star on the American fringe
A shrewd look at outcasts in small-town Texas, Sean Baker’s study of a washed-up porn actor heralds both vivid visuals and big laughs
25 Feb 2022
Rūrangi review – empathetic and lyrical portrait of small-town life
New Zealand director Maxwell Currie’s drama is a touching look at a trans man's homecoming, hinged on a resonant lead turn
21 Feb 2022
Stay Awake review – a sensitive but distracted portrait of addiction
James Sisley’s debut explores the American opioid crisis through the experience of two brothers dealing with their mother's relapses
16 Feb 2022
Human Factors review – break-in thriller gets lost in a winding narrative
An upper middle class family falls apart after they walk in on a burglary in Ronny Trocker's icy drama - but so does the film
30 Jan 2022
Happening review – visceral abortion drama rooted in painful realism
Anamaria Vartolomei gives a star-making turn in Audrey Diwan's near horror film about an unwanted pregnancy in 60s France
30 Jan 2022
Emily the Criminal review – Aubrey Plaza sells a bulletproof crime-thriller
John Patton Ford’s debut is a dark, unpredictable tale about a young woman's descent into lawlessness, powered by a brilliant lead turn
24 Jan 2022
After Yang review – tear-jerking sci-fi lays bare the heart of an AI
Kogonada’s second feature is an exquisitely acted, low-key drama that makes the technical into something distinctly human
28 Dec 2021
The Humans review – family drama has the holidays bordering on horror
Stephen Karam adapts his own Tony Award-winning play, imbuing it with a cinematic edge while preserving its theatrical temperament
24 Nov 2021
Lapwing review – 16th-century drama of bristling brutality
Philip Stevens’ unsettling debut, set on the Lincolnshire coast, tells of a forbidden romance between a mute woman and a Romani man
13 Nov 2021
Tick, Tick… Boom! review – Andrew Garfield conquers musical theatre
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut is a vibrant, heartfelt ode to Rent composer Jonathan Larson, hinged on a brilliant lead turn
31 Oct 2021
La Mif review – sobering but uneven grappling with the care system
Fred Baillif’s social realist drama makes for an admirable effort, though it might have worked better as a full-on documentary
20 Oct 2021
The Worst Person in the World review – truly incandescent Nordic rom-com
Renate Reinsve is irresistible in Joachim Trier's sweeping story of a woman trying to navigate love and life as she approaches her 30s
14 Oct 2021
What Do We See When We Look at the Sky? review – spellbinding Georgian fairy tale
Alexandre Koberidze’s remarkable second feature depicts a lyrically sublime romance between a pharmacist and a footballer
12 Oct 2021
7 Days review – surprisingly smart lockdown rom-com
Roshan Sethi’s timely love story transcends its pandemic hook for a genuinely entertaining portrait of forced connection
10 Oct 2021
All My Friends Hate Me review – a paranoid comedy-horror of the mind
Equal parts hilarious and terrifying, Andrew Gaynord’s debut feature finds a thirtysomething succumbing to an anxiety meltdown
07 Oct 2021
My Little Sister review – predictable but affecting sibling cancer drama
Nina Hoss gives a remarkable turn in this emotional but occasionally monotonous tale of a brother and sister facing tragedy
29 Sep 2021
Anne at 13,000 Ft. review – intimate portrait of undiagnosed anxiety
Writer-director Kazik Radwanski’s lo-fi drama centres on a troubled woman who finds a release through the act of skydiving
21 Sep 2021
Birds of Paradise review – unpredictable and enigmatic ballet thriller
Sarah Adina Smith’s tenacious film shines a spotlight on the gruelling underbelly of a highly competitive Parisian ballet company
10 Sep 2021
Seven Days of Streaming: The Primal Charisma of Adam Driver
With the musical Annette now in UK cinemas, here's how to curate your own Adam Driver season at home in seven key films
09 Sep 2021
Skies of Lebanon review – quirky portrait of wartime connection
Chloé Mazlo’s debut feature is a visually unique but sometimes too outlandish melodrama set during the Lebanese Civil War
18 Aug 2021
The Bright Side review – affecting cancer comedy gets the balance just right
Irish director Ruth Meehan’s charming debut fluctuates between dark and poignant without compromising its comic sensibilities
09 Aug 2021
The Most Beautiful Boy in the World review – powerful look at the cost of fame
The child star of Death in Venice muses on his tragic life story in a sensitive documentary about the pressures of celebrity
03 Aug 2021
Zola review – stylish and freewheeling Florida road trip
Janicza Bravo’s exhilarating Riley Keough-starring crime comedy sets an impressive benchmark for films based on viral tweets
15 Jul 2021
Two of Us review – heart-wrenching drama of love and loss
Filippo Meneghetti’s beautifully acted and stylish tale of lesbian romance is a refreshing look at older women’s desire
21 Jun 2021
Treasure City review – unpredictable tale of one magical night
An unnamed city comes to life in Szabolcs Hajdu’s mesmerising nocturnal drama built from a twenty-two strong ensemble
11 Jun 2021
Why I Changed My Mind About… The Royal Tenenbaums
Next in our series about films our writers have reconsidered, Emily Maskell on how grief changed her view of Wes Anderson's comedy
19 May 2021
Rare Beasts review – Billie Piper seeks to reinvent the rom-com
The I Hate Suzie actress' directorial debut broaches modern womanhood with real style, but is let down by a disjointed narrative
18 May 2021
My New York Year review – a meandering memoir adaptation
Terrific turns from Margaret Qualley and Sigourney Weaver can’t make this literary drama into something worth the viewer's time
12 May 2021
Some Kind of Heaven review – sincere and stylish rumination on retirement
The world's largest retirement community is the subject of a truly fascinating and unsentimental documentary from Lance Oppenheim
29 Apr 2021
Beast Beast review – a foreboding Gen Z coming-of-ager
Danny Madden’s intriguing feature debut has a star-making turn from Shirley Chen but fails to cohere in any truly meaningful way
28 Apr 2021
Here Are the Young Men review – intense unpicking of toxic masculinity
Eoin Macken’s adaptation of the acclaimed Rob Doyle novel is a bold examination of youth and masculinity, featuring Anya Taylor-Joy
30 Mar 2021
Like a House on Fire review – unformed exploration of motherhood
This raw exploration of family from Jesse Noah Klein is occasionally gripping and poignant but ultimately bites off more than it can chew
22 Mar 2021
Cowboys review – an adventurously reimagined western
Steve Zahn and Sasha Knight share beautiful chemistry in a tender portrait of a father and his transgender child out in the wilderness
18 Mar 2021
Cured review – thoughtful recounting of a forgotten queer past
Although formulaic, this documentary offers an essential look at the history of homosexuality and its classification as a mental illness
17 Mar 2021
A Colony review – an exceptional, gently blazing coming-of-ager
This beautiful indie gem from Canadian filmmaker Geneviève Dulude-De Celles charts a teenage girl's anxious adolescence
17 Mar 2021
Jump, Darling review – a brilliant swan song for Cloris Leachman
The late actress gives a heartfelt final turn in writer-director Phil Connell's simple but joyous tale of intergenerational connection
10 Feb 2021
Slalom review – an enraging exploration of abuse in sport
The "win at all costs" mentality is sharply dissected in Charlène Favier’s disturbing portrait of a young skier and her coach
29 Jan 2021
Beginning review – stunning and meticulous Georgian debut
The first feature from writer-director Dea Kulumbegashvill tells a remarkable and harrowing story of faith and womanhood
27 Jan 2021
The Capote Tapes review – studious but simplistic portrait of a writer
Ebs Burnough’s documentary tackles Truman Capote’s complex legacy using never-before-heard archive audio to mixed results
25 Nov 2020
Happiest Season review – queer Christmas rom-com is an irresistible treat
Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis play a couple who must pretend to be straight in Clea DuVall's warm hug of a holiday movie
27 Oct 2020
The Painter and the Thief review – unbelievably true tale of improbable friendship
Benjamin Ree’s fascinating documentary explores the relationship between an artist and the complicated man who stole her paintings
14 Oct 2020
Wildfire review – unsettling tale of two sisters at the Irish border
Nika McGuigan and Nora-Jane Noone are siblings facing up to their mother’s dark past in Cathy Brady's captivating debut feature