Nomadland (2020)

When it comes to long term critical acclaim, there are very few actresses in the last two decades who have built as strong a portfolio as Frances McDormand. From her work with the Coen brothers like Burn After Reading and Moonrise Kingdom to her Oscar winning turn in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, McDormand truly…

The Dig (2021)

With January almost over and any remnants of hungover festive spirit will and truly gone, it is always around this time of the year that I am more susceptible to the charms of a good old fashioned British period drama. It just so happens that Netflix were more than happy to scratch that particular itch…

News Of The World (2020)

With stars getting ‘cancelled’ left right and centre these days, there are very few performers in the current landscape that have managed to retain their universal appeal in this current cultural landscape. Unless there is a bombshell that I have missed, it might be fair to say that Tom Hanks is one of the remaining…

One Night In Miami… (2020)

Maybe it says more about the films that I personally seek out, but it feels like the past twelve months has been a big period for high profile stage to screen adaptations. Netflix brought us both The Boys In The Band and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2020, and now Amazon Studios are jumping into…

Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020)

Before we start, I’d just like to thank Netflix for almost singlehandedly keeping me fed during this wild year of cinema closures of big release postponements. The company that used to send DVDs in the post one an a time is now the leading force in instant home streaming entertainment, and we’ve really fucking needed…

The Prom (2020)

My birthday is on December 27th, and every year for as long as I can remember I have gone to see a musical in London’s West End to celebrate. Obviously, this year, that tradition has to be put on pause. With no physical stage productions to herald my 31st year on this earth, I have…

Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

It might have seemed like a pipe dream a decade ago, but the truth is that Netflix is now one of the biggest contenders when it comes to showpiece film awards at the end of every cinematic year. From Roma to The Irishman to Marriage Story and more, Netflix has firmly established itself as a…

The Burnt Orange Heresy (2019)

As the UK returns to another month long period of long down, I must return to the tried and tested world of VOD for at least the next few weeks. Uncharacteristically, this time of year when I would usually be starting to encounter a string of real Oscar contenders is turning out to be rather…

The Witches (2020)

From Matilda to James & The Giant Peach to Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and more, the various film adaptations of Roald Dahl classics were very much a formative and defining element of my childhood. They blended my love of literature with my love of film, and vitally for a kid who grew up…

Rebecca (2020)

Hello, my name is Amy, and I have a confession to make. Despite the cinephile that I profess to be, I have never seen Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca. It’s a cinematic sin for which I have always been meaning to atone, but for one reason or another, it has still yet to happen. I have, however,…