Assassin(s) first published by Film4 Summary: Mathieu Kassovitz follows up La Haine with a modern history of violence, in this contemporary parable of an ageing hitman and his young apprentice(s). Review: In 1995, with only a few short films and the little known feature Métisse (1993) to his name, actor/director Mathieu Kassovitz suddenly arrived, taking viewers…
The Minus Man first published by Film4, here slightly altered Summary: Hampton Fancher’s directorial debut draws sensitive drama, intelligent social comment and chilling performances from the serial killer genre. Review: “I like the details of a thing, especially if it’s got a purpose.” So says Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) as he examines a sand-speckled pebble that he…
Afterschool first published by Film4 Summary: The feature debut of Antonio Campos (Buy It Now) concerns a fatal incident at an élite prep school and its repercussions for one troubled pupil. Review: Nothing quite puts us in our place as viewers like an image of someone looking at images – and that is precisely where Afterschool opens….
Ema first published by VODzilla.co Ema opens with the image of a traffic light. It is a state-erected sign for vehicles to stop and go, and therefore also a signifier of social order – except that this one, suspended over a street in Valparaíso at night, is on fire, as a woman watches her handiwork…
Stuck first published by Film4 “Out of sight, out of mind.” So says Rashid (Russell Hornsby), the drug-dealing boyfriend of Brandi Boski (Mena Suvari), as the pair plots to get rid of Thomas Bardo (Stephen Rea) – a homeless man who has become lodged in the windshield of Boski’s car after she accidentally rammed him…
What Keeps You Alive first published by SciFiNow Colin Minihan’s What Keeps You Alive opens with a low-angle, from-the-ground shot of treetops above, swaying in the wind – and with an anniversary. A year after they married, Jules (Brittany Allen) and diabetic Jackie (Hannah Emily Anderson) celebrate with a second honeymoon at the isolated lakeside house…
I Am Not A Serial Killer first published by RealCrime Magazine “John, you have a lot of predictors for serial killer behaviour, but predictors are just that: they predict what might happen, not what will happen. You’re in control of your destiny. You’re a good person, John.” With these words, psychotherapist Dr Neblin (Karl Geary) tries…
Sleep Tight first published by Little White Lies Much like Jaume Balagueró’s telemovie Films To Keep You Awake: To Let and his shakicam shockers [Rec] and [Rec]2 (both co-directed with Paco Plaza), Sleep Tight (Mientras duermes) concerns characters locked in an apartment building with an unwelcome presence – only this time round, the focus is less on the perspective of the victims than of…
Confessions (Kokuhaku) first published by Sight & Sound, March 2011 Review: The lessons of cinema are best taught in images rather than words, so Tetsuya Nakashima‘s decision to open Confessions (Kokuhaku) with what is in effect a 30-minute monologue might at first sound foolhardy – but in adapting Kanae Minato’s best-selling six-part serial novel, Nakashima…
Simon Killer first published by Film4. Synopsis: Antonio Campos’ equally disturbing follow-up to Afterschool (2008) observes a young American Euro-tripper unleashed onto the hunting grounds of Paris. Review: “My thesis project was about peripheral vision. It dealt with something called crowding and size pooling. The width of one object is given a weighted average of the…