in brief: living in an empty world in the years after a global pandemic, Hig (Jacob Elordi) has a safe haven, a light aircraft to search for supplies, and the company of his dog, Jasper (Raksha), but not everyone who survived wants to live in peace. for me: it’s true that i could happily watch Margaret Qualley stare blankly at a wall for two hours, but even putting that aside i don’t understand the negative murmerings i’ve heard from professional reviewers. there isn’t much original to do with a post-apocalyptic world, so the challenge is to make it real and … Continue reading quick hits // The Dog Stars

in brief: in the near future America has made extra-marital sex illegal except for one night a year, so Owen (Callum Turner) and Allie (Monica Barbaro) should really be out there trying to pull instead of spending all night failing to avoid each other. for me: i get some of the criticisms. there are many logic flaws, so much in-world time wasted, and too many empty coffee cups, not to mention a tacit acceptance of fascism (although, if you don’t want to go to jail or become celibate, what is the option here?). however, there are also funny lines, romantic … Continue reading quick hits // One Night Only

in brief: with nobody left to share his secret, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is still keeping New York safe as Spider-Man, but whether it’s the demands of hero life or the pain of isolation, something is going wrong, just in time for an invisible foe to start tearing the city apart. for me: i loved the poppy, youthful energy of the Jon Watts trilogy, as Spidey tackled villains and Peter battled growing up. the final part of that series served up a double tragedy, as (spoilers that you should really know already if you’re wanting to watch this one) Peter … Continue reading quick hits // Spider-Man: Brand New Day

in brief: there’s a lot of tension in Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela(Olivia Wilde)’s marriage, so it might not be the best night to invite the liberated, freewheeling upstairs neighbours Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) round for an evening of flan, tequila, and honesty. for me: it’s tempting to watch this dialogue-heavy comedy-drama and say that ‘they don’t make films like this anymore,’ but not only is that not true because they do, but because Olivia Wilde does specifically. Booksmart, her directorial debut, was whip-smart high-schoolers being open about their feelings and finding their true selves through awkward … Continue reading quick hits // The Invite

in brief: art restorer Lori (Michaela Coel) is approached to help an ailing artist catalogue his life’s work, and to perhaps forge a few masterpieces for his venal children to ‘discover’ after his passing. for me: what a season for Soderbergh, and what a year for Coel! i adored the quiet alienation of Presence, loved the whip-smart sexiness of Black Bag, and now the acidic barbs of The Christophers has topped them both. it helps to have two incredible actors as your leads, but Solomon’s script gives them both every opportunity to shine, as well as asking all the right … Continue reading quick hits // The Christophers

in brief: partying under a power-inhibiting and hangover-allowing red sun, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl (Milly Alcock), now has to track down the brigand who poisoned her dog, whilst also keeping the newly orphaned Ruthye (Eve Ridley) from a destructive need for revenge. for me: there is a simple message at the heart of Supergirl which i love – you don’t have to be meek to be good. i’ve known plenty of ‘nice’ people in my life, and many of them weren’t actually good people at heart, either because of their ambitions or their creeds. despite James Gunn only producing for … Continue reading quick hits // Supergirl

in brief: with their kid, Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears), struggling to make friends, the toys face redundancy as LilyPad (v/b Greta Lee) arrives, bringing connectivity and communication that stuffies and dolls can’t match. for me: since i am both a middle-aged man and a parent, this really should be for me, because the heavy-handed messaging means it certainly isn’t for kids! to add a qualification, there is loads of great comedy, touching moments, and brilliant animation in Toy Story 5, and a new Tay-Tay song over the credits, but this should have been three shorts instead of a movie. … Continue reading quick hits // Toy Story 5