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Certificate: 15 Running time: 92 minutes Starring: Wunmi Mosaku, Sope Dirisu, Matt Smith, Gamba Cole Directed by: Remi Weekes The story: After escaping war torn South Sudan, a refugee couple have trouble adjusting to their new life in an English town. The verdict: Haunted houses are a well used subgenre in film, often proving to be one of the most effective - there is something particularly horrifying in finding terror where you hang your hat. Joining the haunted house subgenre is another incredibly effective instalment in His House.  His House follows a married couple who have fled from their war torn country. Arriving in England, it is obvious that their journey was not an easy one nor one that they will soon forget. Eager to settle in and move forward, they willingly go along with the asylum process. This process feels utterly devoid of any humanity. Though the couple aren't treated badly, it is clear that they are just another number to be ticked off, another form to be filled ...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 104 minutes Starring: Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Jessica Capshaw, Kristin Chenoweth Directed by: John Whitesell The story: Fed up of being alone and judged on every holiday, Sloane and Jackson agree to be each other's plus one for special occasions throughout the year.  The verdict: Films featuring Christmas, a slightly more cynical view of romance and Emma Roberts are all things that I really like. With that in mind, I thought that Holidate was going to be a sure-fire hit for me and that is why it is even more disappointing to report that this film was a bit of a turkey.  Holidate completely fails as a romantic comedy, namely because it is neither funny nor is the romance element very convincing. The jokes mostly fell flat for me, relying on cheap gags, and I didn't laugh out loud once. Meanwhile the romance is so contrived that apart from a couple of nice moments, that heart-warming "n'aww" feeling that romantic comedies often ins...

  Certificate: 15 Running time: 90 minutes Starring: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote Directed by: Natalie Erika James The story: When Edna goes missing, her daughter and granddaughter travel to her house to search for her. The verdict: I had little knowledge of this film before seeing it, bar hearing that it had really divisive reviews - critics seemed to love it whilst audience scores were low. So, I went into it with some trepidation, often audiences can get it right where critics have got it wrong. However, the opposite can also be true and in this case I firmly agree with the critics on this one - Relic was brilliant.  Relic centres around a woman whose mother has gone missing from her home. Along with her daughter, she travels to her mother's house to search the surrounding area fearing that old age has meant that her mother may be lost nearby and unable to remember her way home. The characters each work really well in this, each embodying a familial role tha...

Certificate: PG Running time: 100 minutes Starring: Dixie Egerickx, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Edan Hayhurst, Isis Davis, Maeve Dermody, Amir Wilson Directed by: Marc Munden The story: When her parents pass away, young Mary is sent to live with her uncle on a remote country estate where she discovers a secret garden. The verdict: Based on the 1911 novel of the same name, The Secret Garden has been adapted for the screen several times previously. Does this version bring anything new? I don't think that it does, however that doesn't mean that it is not worth watching. This version does take a few liberties with the source material, so fans of the book may find themselves grumbling about this - though rest assured that the novel's main principles are still there. The film is still very much recognisable, it just doesn't stick to exact times and settings. The cast of The Secret Garden may boast Academy Award nominated Julie Walters and Academy Award winning Colin Firth, ho...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 97 minutes Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Maria Bakalova Directed by: Jason Woliner The story: Borat agrees to travel back to America to bring Vice President Mike Pence a gift. But things don't quite go to plan when his daughter turns up instead of the gift he was expecting. The verdict: Before I begin this review, I think that perhaps it is worth noting that I am not a particular fan of Borat. That is not to say that I don't like him, but his brand of humour and genre of comedy is not one that I would necessarily choose first if given the choice. Thus, I am aware that Borat Subsequent Moviefilm will be a lot more appealing to fans of his and possibly play differently - I can see how big fans have the potential to love this film as it's Borat as they know and love him. With a film such as this, the first thing that anyone will ask is this - is it funny? The answer to that is yes and no. There are definitely lots of laugh out loud moments and as y...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 117 minutes Starring: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones Directed by: Francis Lee The story: Palaeontologist Mary Anning lives a mostly solitary life, working alone and caring for her sickly mother, until she meets Charlotte Murchison who changes everything. The verdict: Director Francis Lee's debut film, God's Own Country, was one of my favourite films of 2017 and so I was really excited to see what his sophomore film would be like. After seeing Ammonite, I think it would be safe to say that Lee is becoming one of my favourite directors because both of his films have blown me away. Ammonite is a gorgeously shot period drama that immediately pulls the audience into the setting and location. As Mary battles the elements on the brutal coastline of Lyme Regis, I could almost feel the wind biting at my face and whipping through my hair. Mary is a fascinating character and it is no surprise to say that Kate Winslet plays her fantastically. Her per...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 97 minutes Starring: Katherine Langford, Charlie Plummer, Piper Perabo Directed by: Brian Duffield The story: When their classmates begin to inexplicably self combust, seniors Mara and Dylan decide to try and live each minute as if it is their last. The verdict: I was unaware before watching this that it is based upon the novel of the same name by Aaron Starmer, and after watching it I will definitely seek out the book because Spontaneous is one of the most unique and original teen films that I have ever seen. Part sci-fi, part black comedy, part horror, part romance - Spontaneous brings together a number of genres. This could have easily made Spontaneous a muddled mess but somehow this blend of genres works really well together, capturing all the emotions of being a teenager and indeed of life. Katherine Langford and Charlie Plummer, both young actors whose work I really enjoy, are both great in this. I loved both of their characters and I thought th...

Certificate: 12 Running time: 102 minutes Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Naoh Schnapp Directed by: Steven Brill The story: Halloween loving Hubie finds himself with a spooky mystery to solve when strange events start happening in his town of Salem. The verdict: If I am honest, thus far I have not particularly enjoyed any of the offerings that have been produced from the ten picture deal that Adam Sandler has with Netflix. Unfortunately, that trend has continued with Hubie Halloween. To be fair to Sandler, I am not a massive fan of the type of comedy that he is known for. So with that in mind, perhaps I was never really going to like Hubie Halloween. For avid fans of Sandler, there is every chance that they may thoroughly enjoy this as it is classic Sandler - the silly voice, the fart jokes etc. Lead character Hubie is the town misfit and treated appallingly by the townsfolk. He regularly has objects hurled at his head and is nicknamed 'Pubie' Whil...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 84 minutes Starring: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Knight, Lily Frazer, Turlough Convery, Rosie Sansom Directed by: Rose Glass The story: A reclusive young nurse who is caring for a terminally ill patient becomes convinced that she is supposed to save the patient's soul. The verdict: Saint Maud turned out to be one of my favourite cinema experiences of recent times. Firstly, because of the film itself which I will discuss in a moment. But the other reason that Saint Maud was such a good cinema experience was because of the reactions of the rest of the audience in the screening. Throughout, there was an atmosphere of bewilderment and tension - you could tell that people had no idea what to make of the film. One cinema goer left halfway through and didn't come back and when the credits rolled, several people left muttering their dislike of the film. Whilst the majority of the screening appeared to have disliked Saint Maud, I...

Certificate: 12 Running time: 91 minutes Starring: Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali, Ruby Stokes, Tawheda Begum, D'angelou Osei Kissiedu Directed by: Sarah Gavron The story: A teenage girl is left to look after herself and her younger brother when their mother abandons them. The verdict: This is a film that I had wanted to see for a long time, ever since it got rave reviews back at the 2019 London Film Festival, so I was really excited when I saw that it was going to be shown at my local cinema. Rocks was the result of a collaborative effort between director Sarah Gavron and writers Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson, who cast unknown actors from local schools and youth hubs. It was also shot by the talented Hélène Louvart. Overall, Rocks is a film which boasts a wealth of incredible female talent. Rocks is a really raw and realistic film, completely unpolished but in the best way possible. Whilst watching it, it brought to mind films such as Ken Loach's S...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 129 minutes Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance, Joseph Gordon-Levitt Directed by: Aaron Sorkin The story: The Trial of the Chicago 7 follows the story of the true life 1969 trial which saw seven defendants charged with conspiracy after the protests that occurred at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The verdict: Often I feel somewhat ignorant if I watch a film such as this and I have no knowledge of the real life events on which it is based. However, the upside to this is that it meant that I didn't know what was going to happen and thus I was transfixed throughout as I waited to see how the trial would play out. I must admit that I had no particular expectations for this film despite its credentials of a great cast and Aaron Sorkin at the helm, and again I feel somewhat ignorant as this film was brilliant. From the opening scenes, I was completely engaged and the 129 minutes runn...