Starring Bradley Taylor, Cary Crankson, Joel Fry
Directed by Will Thorne
By @RogerCrow

I love a great British crime thriller. Sadly there are so few of them around, genre fans like me usually end up disappointed as the latest much hyped offering arrives with a blaze of glory and then vanishes without a trace.

In 1998, Guy Ritchie gave us Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, a super confident, witty debut which boasted a fine soundtrack, clever editing, a snappy script and a great cast. A year later came a couple of US films whose rug-pulling narrative twist was so smart, they demanded re-watching. In the years since the likes of Sexy Beast and Ben Wheatley’s stunning Kill List proved that the British crime thriller was alive and well. And since then? Well, great genre offerings have been few and far between.

There feels like a lot of DNA of all of the above in Silent Night, another super confident Brit thriller laced with dark humour, a rug-pulling twist and some naturalistic touches which keep you hooked until the closing titles.

Bradley Taylor plays Mark, an ex con who attempts to reconnect with his daughter and hopes to give her a Christmas to remember.
Struggling to find work, he meets Alan (Cary Crankson), his former cell-mate, who encourages him to return to a life of crime. A decision made easier when Caddy (Frank Harper), a ruthless crime boss, blackmails him into doing one last job.

The whole thing ticks over like a Swiss watch, and the cast’s lack of baggage gives it a sense of gravitas. Best of all is the witty banter between a couple of key characters, and a potato song to rival Matt Lucas’s. It’s those lighter moments that really make this work, because scenes of the hero being beaten up grow tired fast.
Joel Fry, who was rather good in Yesterday, and One Way To Denmark, is also great here.

Writer/director Will Thorne is definitely a name for the future. His feature debut is a great invitation for any producer looking for fresh talent to helm their next big thriller.
A shame about the title, purely as it’s been used so much over the years, but it’ll be interesting to see whether Silent Night (2020) attracts the cult following it deserves in the coming weeks and months.
A real Christmas cracker.

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Cast: Tak Sakaguchi, Hideo Sakaki, Chieko Misaka
Certificate 18
By @RogerCrow

If you like your martial arts epics with a sci-fi touch, then Versus is just the sort of full blooded yarn worth investing in.
With its bone-crunching, bloodletting, crash zooms and weird angles in the first few minutes, director Ryuhei Kitamura sets his stall out early.
It’s one of those films that really wants to mix up its genres. Part gangster epic, part fantasy, part samurai yarn, with a score which sounds like it was composed for a video game.
Things really get going with a mysterious face-off in a wooded clearing between two escaped convicts and sharply dressed yakuza holding a woman captive.

It ends in hails of bullets and showers of blood. All of which is pretty generic, even in 2000. The welcome twist is the fact it takes place in the mythic Forest of Resurrection, the site of the 444th portal of the 666 hidden gates that link this earthly domain to the netherworld. Did you not get the memo? It’s a thing apparently.
As one of the surviving prisoners escapes with the girl into the forest, miffed gangsters soon become the least of their worries as an earlier battle between a lone warrior against hordes of zombie samurai is carried over from a millennium ago into the present day.
The plot is pure manga; I can see it working equally as well as an anime, and full marks to a besuited green-shirted villain. He’s gloriously loopy. One foot on a tree is one way of dispatching the bad guys I guess. And his smart threads deflect dirt better than Alec Guinness’s Man in the White Suit.

The demure heroine (Chieko Misaka) is delightful, though has all the depth of a game avatar, and the hero (nicely played by stuntman Tak Sakaguchi) is suitably dashing and aloof.
I’m surprised it’s not been remade with Jason Statham, or some equally nimble western action hero.
Zombies, gangsters, martial arts and the odd bit of slapstick. It won’t win any awards for subtlety, but what’s not to love?
If you like the films of Raimi, Tarantino, Romero and Woo, then give your brain five minutes to adjust to the glorious lunacy, settle back and enjoy the ride.

Starring Natalie Clark, Kenny Boyle, Sylvester McCoy
Directed by Ryan Hendrick
Certificate 12
@RogerCrow

Two strangers stranded in the Scottish Highlands on Christmas Eve team up to try and get home in time for December 25. That’s the idea behind this charming, but strangely inert rom com.
It’s based on acclaimed short 2015 film Perfect Strangers, and it’s weird watching the trailer for that after seeing the feature. Like a photocopy of a photocopy, the overlong revamp loses a little something when stretched. (It needed at least 10 minutes trimming to make the movie snappier).

Kenny Boyle is perfectly fine as the grumpy, spurned Rob (reprising his role from the beta version), while Natalie Clark is charming as the eternal optimist Jen. She’s sweet, a bit ditzy and thinks it’s fine to steal her ex’s supercar. Obviously it’s not but hey, she’s a bit ditzy. Grand theft auto is fine in rom coms, as long as it furthers the story. Those are the rules.

While it’s good to see Claire Grogan and Dr Who veterans Sylvester McCoy and Frazer Hines among the supporting cast, the real stars of the show are the wintry landscapes and those wonderful highlands.
It’s no better or worse than one of those ubiquitous Hallmark movies that dominate the box at this time of year, and while many of the gags fall flat, writer/director Ryan Hendrick does his best with the familiar premise.

Like The Comedian’s Guide to Survival from a few years ago, so many of the right elements are here, but for whatever reason that chemistry which turns formulaic movies into all-time classics fails to gel.
However, if you’re curled up on the sofa with a box of chocs while the weather outside is frightful, this could be just the ticket for easing those winter blues. Expect little and it should sprinkle a bit of festive magic at least.

Starring Paula Del Rio, Miguel Angel Jenner, Jordi Aguilar
Directed by Jose Luis Montesinos
By @RogerCrow

Years ago one of the greatest pitches in the history of Hollywood was delivered for a film hardly anyone remembers. The movie was Man’s Best Friend, and the pitch was: “It’s Jaws… with paws”.
Now comes a clever Spanish thriller with a similarly brilliant tagline: Beware of the Dog.

The premise: haunted by the death of her sister, Elena, a young quadriplegic, has retired to a country house along with her father. There she has the help of a Belgian Shepherd service dog.
However, when tragedy strikes, the animal who is supposed to be her best friend, has contracted a strange disease… and has turned into her worst enemy.

This often compelling thriller is a film of two halves. It starts off well as the characters and premise are introduced. When the young heroine is left alone, what begins is not so much a ’cat’ and mouse game but a mix of Gravity, Cujo and the end of Aliens.
There’s also an element of What Lies Beneath as the heroine tries to stay alive despite limited movement. It’s a great idea and there are times it borders on greatness. But by the half way mark I’ll admit I’m a little bored.

In the hands of a genius like writer Brian Clemens, this would have worked far better, but there are just a few too many moments of a seemingly invincible antagonist causing chaos, and chances are animal lovers will hate it.

As good as Paula Del Rio is, and she carries 99 per cent of the film, there were a few too many scenes of her tackling her demons.
Thankfully the running time is spot on, and while Jose Luis Montesinos knows how to craft a tense thriller, there was something missing. It might have been the fact it felt so much like Cujo, or that there wasn’t enough material to sustain a feature.

However, in a world of formulaic thrillers this was an interesting variation on familiar themes, and I can see Hollywood adapting it for their own ends in the near future. Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown would be a perfect lead, though hopefully they’ll change the key predator. I much prefer my movie pets on the cuddly side rather than killer canines thanks very much.

8

Starring Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, Amy Madigan

Directed by Craig Zobel

Certificate 15

By @RogerCrow

I knew nothing of the controversial history* of The Hunt, another jet black comedy horror from the Blumhouse stable.(*The film was shelved for a bit because of a real mass shooting, and then Covid meant its big screen performance was cut short).

Unlike The Invisible Man, one of the best thrillers of the year, this is lighter in tone, but also features a powerhouse turn from its female lead. I also knew nothing of Betty Gilpin, despite watching an episode of Glow, the wrestling series that helped make her name.

The opening gives us a little foreshadowing via a series of text messages, before we cut to a private jet and an atrocity that sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

We eventually cut to a field where a series of potential protagonists race to a container. So far, so Hunger Games. Or if you’re a fan of vintage thrillers, The Most Dangerous Game, which provided the template for countless similar thrillers). But what’s inside the box? Well, that would be telling. Safe to say for the first few minutes, the people we think are going to carry the movie… don’t.

Then a dazed Crystal (Gilpin) wanders into a convenience store, and things really kick off. I’ll not reveal too much, except to say that Betty Gilpin gives the sort of star-making turn that demands repeat viewing, a lot like Jodie Comer’s Villanelle in Killing Eve.

I had to watch one scene in a bunker repeatedly for her truly wonderful facial expressions. It’s one of those PTSD-style turns that rises far above the familiar Katniss-esque trappings. There is a glorious political subtext to the movie which is essentially the privileged vs the working class.

While cineastes and academics might analyse it for years to come, on a Saturday night during one of the worst weeks of the last 10 years, for this movie lover it’s the perfect slice of escapism.

It’s good to see Amy Madigan from cult 1980s rock and roll fantasy Streets of Fire, and a few other familiar faces amid the supporting cast. While the third act may be pure Kill Bill, that’s not bad thing. It’s far from perfect, but the 90-minute running time is spot on.

For those who had to wade through hours of occasionally thrilling, but mostly depressing misery in The Hunger Games saga, this is a great antidote.

At the risk of a possible spoiler, I’ve no idea whether Crystal will return for a sequel, but I’m guessing Ms Gilpin has already been fast tracked for another Hollywood thriller as a kick-ass heroine, hopefully with as much wit and intelligence as this full-blooded slice of escapism.

8.5

Endless (2020)
Starring Alexandra Shipp, Nicholas Hamilton, DeRon Horton
Directed by Scott Speer
Certificate 12A

By @RogerCrow

The only certain things in life are death and taxes. Well, I’ll add another one to that list: films about death.
Not the maudlin type, but those films where the deceased hero gets a chance to right wrongs, and do something good after their demise. You ’Always’ get these scripts knocking around Hollywood, and as ’Ghost’ is beloved by millions, thirty years after that blockbuster left millions blubbing into their popcorn, there’s little wonder producers are keen to revisit those themes. I ’truly, madly, deeply’ believe that.

This one centres on besotted high school graduates Riley (Alexandra Shipp) and Chris (Nicholas Hamilton). She’s a cool artist, he’s a fresh faced biker who looks like he’s just stepped off the set of a modelling shoot. Which is fine. Gritty authenticity takes a back seat in this good looking tear-splattered fantasy romance.

They are separated by a (brilliantly executed) tragic car accident. Riley blames herself for her boyfriend’s death, while Chris is stranded in limbo.
Miraculously, the two find a way to connect. And no, it doesn’t involve a potter’s wheel or Unchained Melody.

It’s well put together, the cast are fine, the songs are okay, and the a-ha/Take On Me-style comic book close peps things up a bit. It’s no classic, but if you’re a teenager who loves getting lost in romantic dramas with a supernatural theme, then this should tick a lot of boxes.

If you’ve never seen Ghost, you might like it. And contrary to what the title suggests, it’s just the right length.

6.5

Starring Jenny Slate, Alex Sharp, Zach Galifianakis and Gillian Anderson
Directed by David Wnend
@RogerCrow

I’d never heard of Rebecca Dinerstein’s acclaimed novel on which this is based, but it definitely has the feel of a novel-movie conversion.
The usual fish-out-of-water themes are there, but at times it feels like a series of memories from an art student’s gap year. Which is not a criticism at all. There are times when I think it’s one of the best films of the year, and others when I think it’s too quirky for its own good.

It follows painter Frances (Jenny Slate) as she leaves her New York life in search of inspiration in the Norwegian Arctic circle.
In a remote village, among the locals, she meets a fellow New Yorker (Alex Sharp), who has come in search of a proper Viking funeral, only to find the Chief (Zach Galifianakis) is nothing but a re-enactor from Cincinnati.

Under a sun that never quite sets, and the high standards of an unforgiving mentor, Frances must navigate between ambition and desire in order to find a way forward.
From its opening shots in New York City, it starts out as a familiar Big Apple indie drama like Greta Gerwig’s Frances Ha, and then heads off to Norway, where it feels like Ben Stiller’s remake of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Yes, I know that was partly shot in Iceland but the vibe is the same. (Frustrated American finds enlightenment thanks to salt-of-the-Earth Nordic locals).

And wow, what a great character Norway is with its stunning vistas.
Zach Galifianakis and Gillian Anderson lend star power to the feature, while David Paymer chews the scenery as Frances’s sweary illustrator dad.
It’s funny, sweet, occasionally touching, unusual and often quite beautiful. Structurally it’s not as solid as the barn as the centre of the tale, but it’s just as colourful, vibrant and enigmatic.

You’ll either love it or be annoyed by elements of it, but for this former art student who never got that gap year in Norway, it’s a sun-kissed tonic at a very dark time. It never outstays its welcome, and like Monty Python’s parrot, it’s not long after the credits roll that I’m also pining for the fjords.
Oh, and it also has a great collection of songs, including a cracking closing track which I need to add to my collection ASAP.

8.5

Film review
Rose: A Love Story
@RogerCrow

Starring Matt Stokoe, Sophie Rundle, Olive Gray
Directed by Jennifer Sheridan

Knowing little about this bleak drama, I sit through the usual production credits, soak up the wintry visuals of a hunter locking up his cabin and scouring the woods and fully expect I’m in Canada or the frozen woods of America. What I don’t expect is the two key leads are Brits.
So while it may have the look and feel of sublime American thriller Wind River, suddenly it feels a lot closer to home.

Given the latest lockdown, there’s little wonder siege thrillers will touch a chord with many. Films such as A Quiet Place, in which a small family fight for survival against mostly unseen forces, feel all the more relevant these days, even if the creatures in the dark are pure Hollywood, that threat feels very real. The same is true here.
The plot: gripped by a violent, terrifying illness, Rose lives in seclusion with her husband, but the arrival of a stranger shatters the fragile refuge they have built.

Sophie Rundle, who some will know from Peaky Blinders, is terrific as the eponymous protagonist; writer/co-star Matt Stokoe is also excellent, selling the premise, while adding that necessary degree of gravitas. It’s a promising feature from director Jennifer Sheridan which sustains the interest throughout.

As the movie unfolds and that third character upsets the status quo, it’s hard not to feel for the troubled spouses. Yes, it leads to a dramatic conclusion, but while the themes may be decades old, there’s a freshness to the execution. It looks great, the cast are superb and there’s a naturalism to the drama. As three-hander dramas go, it’s one of the best of the year, and on the strength of this cast and crew should go on to bigger, possibly better things, though this is about as good as you can get given the modest budget. Highly recommended.

Cast 8
Script 8
Direction 8
Editing 8

Little Nothings (1992)
Directed by Cedric Klapisch
Certificate 12

Starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux and Marc Berman

@Roger Crow

As the title suggests, this seems to be a big film about nothings. Lots of little nothings.
Imagine a Gallic version of Are You Being Served?, except instead of Mr Humphries descending the stairs in an outrageous outfit, we witness a load of eclectic characters going about their business, working, shopping, being bored, flirting and winding up the senior management.

It’s set in a typical French department store: Les Grandes Galeries.
Mr Lepetit has just been appointed General Manager of the company, but we also focus on young workers Roger and Claire… and many other characters.
Things tick over, it’s colourful enough and feels like one of Robert Altman’s ensemble pieces like Short Cuts. Though made in 1992, which seems like yesterday, it does feel quite dated. But then again as tech has come on in leaps and bounds over the past 28 years, little wonder.

“The minor characters are the heroes in the film,” explains the director in one of the special features. And quelle suprise, he mentions Altman’s Nashville, which broke new ground for such ensemble pieces in the 1970s.
The fact that most of the crew, including the director and the storyboarder had cameos on the film, is no doubt compelling for fans, but after a while the movie seems to run out of steam.

As a fan of Gallic cinema, it’s always great to see a “new” offering from across the Channel, but while I admire the ambition of Little Nothings, sadly that title seems to sum it up a little too accurately.
However, if nothing else you’ll discover that there’s no such thing as just a normal hammer, and those little scenes do add to the overall impact – or lack of it.
Fun, bold, but not quite the classic it could have been.

Direction 8
Script 7
Cast 7
Score 7
Editing 8

Starring Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams

Directed by Toby Poser, John Adams

Certificate 18
@RogerCrow

Bogus tarot card reader Ivy and her teenage daughter Echo are an unconventional but loving mother/daughter team. However, when reclusive Kurt moves in down the road, and starts renovating a decrepit old house, a tragic accident results in Echo’s demise, causing three lives to collide in mysterious ways. Kurt believes he can hide his secret beneath the Earth – but Echo gets under his skin.

Going into this chiller thriller, I didn’t expect much, but it’s a low key, old fashioned yarn that works its magic early. Stark visuals and snowy landscapes, which look fabulous in hi-def, may be reminiscent of Fargo and A Simple Plan, but the cast’s lack of baggage helps sell the premise. It’s beautifully put together and the jump scares are dialled down, which works in its favour. Yes, there are some gruesome moments, but not at the expense of the often trippy story.

The cast acquit themselves well, and there’s rarely a dull moment, even when not much seems to be happening. Though there might be echoes of other films, it’s refreshing to see a movie that plays with the age-old horror genre tropes. If you’re tired of stalk and slash thrillers and torture porn passing itself off as horror, then this old school cracker is just the job for Halloween, or any winter’s night. Just make sure you do watch it at night, preferably with the lights off.

The special features are rather good, including an interview with the multi-talented Adams family responsible for putting most of the elements together and appearing on screen. The songs are also rather good; the sort of stuff you hear in a cool coffee shop.

Easily one of the most interesting genre offerings of recent years, and it deserves the cult status it’s no doubt already achieved. I can only imagine what the Adams family could do with a bigger budget, considering how accomplished this project is on a shoestring budget. Highly recommended.

8.5