Daisies – An Anarchic Funfair of Chaos

Released in: 1966Directed by: Věra ChytilováStarring: Ivana Karbanová, Jitka Cerhová, Marie Češková Unsurprisingly banned by the Czech government for “depicting the wanton”, Daisies is a fantastic film filled with feminist surrealism. This is in the form of two girls sticking up their middle fingers at the communist establishment and the patriarchy. And they have a …

Make Up – A Startling, Unnerving Debut

Ruth (Molly Windsor) has just been unceremoniously left by her parents on a static caravan site. She’s eighteen, and it’s the first summer that she’s been allowed to live with her boyfriend, Tom (Joseph Quinn) on the Cornish coast. Yet, like those caravans, Ruth is static. She’s blindly followed her boyfriend of three years to …

Everyday Article: Churchill: The Man, The Myth…the Cinematic Icon?!

Recently, it seems that an easy way to get a BAFTAs nom or an Oscar was to don a bowler hat, prosthetics and smoke copious amounts of cigars. We are a nation obsessed with Churchill, and as a result, our cinematic landscape is filled with references to him. But have we taken it too far? …

How Hollywood’s Reboot Obsession is Killing off the Action Heroine

The 2010s were dominated by reboots of old properties. Hollywood likes to tell you that these films aren't reboots - they're "reimaginings" or disjointed sequels. Really they're all the same, and they're just made to make an easy buck. Hollywood has now opted to gender flip the cast of older films, allowing them to put …

The Old Guard: This action film fails to pack a punch

Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthais Schoenaerts Released in: 2020 It’s the height of summer, and instead of the flurry of summer blockbusters, cinema doors remain locked and bolted. Even if they are open, nothing new is showing. No carefree action blockbusters accompanied with an armful of popcorn and a half-sipped …

The Adventures of Prince Achmed Review: A Magical Fairy Tale

Directed by: Lotte Reiniger and Carl Koch (uncredited) Released in: 1926 A phantasmagorical wonder, which was almost lost forever, The Adventures of Prince Achmed is an utter delight. Director Lotte Reiniger developed her own animation technique based on Wayang Indonesian puppets and spent years compiling enough footage to create a full-length film. She was a true pioneer …

The Lake House Review: Only Bullock and Reeves can save this sinking ship

Directed by: Alejandro Agresti Starring: Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Christopher Plummer Released in: 2006 Fantasy time travel films are a popular take on the romance genre. In this one, there’s a magic time-shifting mailbox, a dog who runs across timelines and the eponymous lake house. But for every intense Sliding Doors, there’s a The Lake …

It Follows Review: A homage to 80s horror with a modern twist

Directed by: David Robert Mitchell Starring: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto Released in: 2014 Horror films have evolved into a different beast from what they were in the 1980s. More often than not, the horror aspect is largely a metaphor for the ills of society. This has been magnified in the last decade, with …

Writing for UK Film Review

Did you know I also post frequently for UK Film Review? I write reviews on short films from all over the world once a week. Find my bio here: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/film-critics/Lucy-Clarke And read some of my recent reviews here: https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/innocent-boy-short-film-review https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/post/neon-boys-short-film-review Enjoy 🙂

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga Review: Charming, but hits a few bum notes

Directed by: David Dobkin Starring: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan Released in: 2020 I’m a big fan of Eurovision. A big fan. I’ve watched it religiously every year since 2009, and I spend the month of May blasting Eurovision classics, from Abba’s Waterloo to Netta’s I’m Not Your Toy. And I was absolutely terrified …