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Certificate: 12A Running time: 150 minutes Starring: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Clemence Posey, Himesh Patel, Michael Caine Directed by: Christopher Nolan. The story: Given only the word 'tenet,' one man sets off on an epic mission to prevent a disaster that could spell the end of the world. The verdict: Regardless of whether you consider yourself a Christopher Nolan fan or not, you have to admire that Nolan is a man who sticks to his guns. With Tenet’s release date pushed back several times, there came calls for Nolan to let Tenet be released onto digital platforms. But Nolan held strong and refused to give up on a theatrical release, and lo and behold – Tenet became the first big blockbuster of the year to hit theatres after many other films had already opted out. Nolan was right to push for Tenet to be released theatrically, not only because of the boost to theatres and the industry, but because Tenet is definitely a ...

Running time: 94 minutes Starring: Reece Ritchie, Hugh Fraser, Andrew Hollingworth, Judith Sharp, Geir Madland, Paul Moriarty, Joshua Dickinson, Miles Jovian,  Rocio Rodriguez-Innis, Molly Scurrell, Mel Winning, Rob Jarvis, Angeline Hunt. Directed by: Jean Hogg, Adam Collier, Joshua Carver, Deveril, Joshua Dickinson, Amy L Feeley, Jane Gull, Toby Roberts. The story: The legendary Great White Horse Hotel in Ipswich has provided board for many a guest over the decades. From ordinary folk to famous faces - all have come seeking a bed for the night in the grand hotel. The Haunted Hotel is an anthology of eight different tales, all with one thing in common - the ghostly encounters within them. The verdict: Comprised of eight separate stories, each set in a different decade, The Haunted Hotel is a collaborative project from FILM Suffolk. Inspired by the rich folklore and ghost stories of the county and of the fantastic location of the now closed Great White Ho...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 78 minutes Starring: Natalia Dyer, Alisha Boe, Wolfgang Novogratz, Francesca Reale Directed by: Karen Maine The story: Catholic schoolgirl Alice finds herself having tempting thoughts after an online chat turns sexual, so she decides to enrol in a programme in hopes of curbing her burgeoning sexual awakening. The verdict: As a massive Stranger Things fan, I must admit that I was primarily drawn to this film because it stars Natalia Dyer, also known as Nancy Wheeler in the popular Netflix series. However, that is obviously not a prerequisite for watching this film, so don't let that influence you. Dyer stars as Alice, and Alice is a character that I think will resonate with a lot of people. Alice is a dutiful daughter, a good student and always tries her best to be true to her faith. Alice also eats the junk food that has been hidden at the top of the cupboard, daydreams about her crush whilst in class, and rewinds Titanic mul...

Certificate: PG-13 Running time: 83 minutes  Starring: Maissa Houri, Mark Templin, Willow Mcgregor, Eleonora Poutilova, Chantel Little. Directed by: Andrew J.D Robinson. The story: The scariest nightmares are the ones you can wake up to in We Are The Missing, a drama/horror mockumentary following the Madison’s desperate search for their teenage daughter. The verdict: We Are The Missing opens with a chilling statistic - every year over 600,000 people remain missing across the country. This sets the eerie tone for what follows, and by the time that the end credits roll, that statistic may have taken on a whole new meaning for the audience.  As We Are The Missing begins, you could certainly be forgiven for thinking that you had just switched on a true life investigative documentary film - the mockumentary style works really well in this instance and the actors deserve praise too, as their performances also play really well into the style. There ...

Certificate: PG Running time: 99 minutes  Starring: Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Ben Schwartz Directed by: Jeff Fowler The story: After finding himself chased by shady government officials, a hedgehog with special abilities enlists the help of a local sheriff. The verdict: Before Sonic the Hedgehog was even released, it was the subject of negative attention when the first trailer revealed the design and look of Sonic, and fans absolutely hated it. Fearing a complete boycott of the film altogether, the filmmakers redesigned Sonic, creating a much better visual of the character. Still despite that, many predicted that the film would bomb at the box office. So, it was a pleasant surprise to see Sonic the Hedgehog do much better than expected, doing reasonably well at the box office and gaining praise from some critics. I have always loved the character and the games, having grown up playing Sonic the Hedgehog and although I found the trailer pr...

Certificate: 15 Running time:  Starring: Song Kang-ho, Chang Hyae-Jin, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Lee Sun-kyun  Directed by: Bong Joon Ho The story: The lives of two families, one poor and one rich, become intertwined when the eldest son of the poor family becomes a tutor for the rich family.  The verdict: This is a really tricky review to write, and not because of my feelings on the film but because this is a film that is best watched with as little prior knowledge as possible - certainly watching how it unfolds and what that entails is part of the fun. I would like to think, or at least I hope, that my reviews are always largely spoiler free anyway, but just know that the utmost caution has been applied whilst writing this review!  So Parasite! I have to say that this is a film that I not only really liked, but really respected as well. Parasite is kind of a complete anomaly of a film - it’s both a film that can be enjoyed by the ...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 118 minutes  Starring: George Mackay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch  Directed by: Sam Mendes The story: Two soldiers are tasked with an important mission to deliver a message to call off an impending attack. The verdict: I feel that this may be one of my shortest reviews ever, because simply put - 1917 is stunning. As the credits rolled, I felt myself welling up and it took me several minutes to compose myself. That was in part due to the fact that 1917 packs an emotional punch, but more than that it was a feeling of being completely overwhelmed by what I’d just experienced. And possibly therein lies the secret of what makes 1917 so incredible - it doesn’t just feel like a film you watch, it feels like a film you experience. You feel like you’re crouched down in the muddy trenches, you feel the fear of being shot at, you feel the urgency of the mission - you feel everything the characters fe...

Certificate: 12A Running time: 108 minutes  Starring: Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson Directed by: Taika Waititi The story: When Johannes Betzler, a ten year old boy and Hitler Youth member, discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their house, he forced to question the validity of his beliefs. This proves even more tricky with regular interventions from his imaginary best friend - who also happens to be Adolf Hitler. The verdict:  I tend to try to avoid reading any reviews until after I’ve seen the film in question, so as not to be swayed or influenced either way. And so I found myself quite surprised upon leaving the cinema and then reading some of the criticism heaped onto Jojo Rabbit. Jojo Rabbit appears to be a rather divisive film, with those who liked it feeling very strongly that it’s a brilliant satire and those who disliked it feeling very vehemently that it’s far too bla...

Certificate: 12A Running time: 142 minutes  Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Oscar Issac Directed by: J.J Abrams. The story: The last of the resistance returns to face the First Order for one final time. Meanwhile, both Rey and Kylo Ren battle their inner demons in order to determine their true nature. The verdict: Much like the Star Wars universe itself, the Star Wars franchise has been infiltrated by the dark side. Toxic fans have bullied actors off of social media, attacked the directors, and generally made life hell for a lot of people. With that being said, my underlying feeling both before and after watching the film is that there are going to be many people who destroy this film. And that’s not because it deserves in any way to be destroyed, but just because the Star Wars franchise has become this franchise that many hold to an impossible ideal - it is never going to win and many are never going to let it. Therefore,...

Certificate: 15 Running time: 209 minutes  Starring: Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin. Directed by: Martin Scorsese  The story: Frank Sheeran recalls his life working as a truck driver who became involved in organised crime and union politics.  The verdict: Martin Scorsese’s latest film had a very limited theatrical release, before being dropped on Netflix. It’s always a little bit disappointing when you’re not able to see a film at the cinema (and unfortunately there were no cinemas nearby that were showing The Irishman). However, due to the impressive three and a half hours running time, watching The Irishman on Netflix wasn’t too much of a hardship. At least you can pause it for bathroom breaks! The Irishman arrived on Netflix with high expectations from audiences. Reviews for the film have seen it lavished with praise, with it being called one of Scorsese’s best and being tipped for multiple Oscar nominatio...