VOD: Luther: The Fallen Sun (dir: Jamie Payne, 2023)

"I'm still a copper."
"No, you're not. Not any more."

The opening scenes of this expansion of the Luther TV show effectively create a new story linked to the ending of the previous series which finds the disgraced detective in jail and establishes Andy Serkis as David Robey, a very twisted, manipulative and cold-hearted serial killer, even taunting the imprisoned Luther that leads to a prison-break in order for him to track down the killer.  The narrative stacking of Luther tracking Robey with the police hunting the escaped Luther keeps the momentum going well, and with its rain-drenched blue/grey palette, this typically downbeat thriller works very hard in conveying the sense of grimness - this movie keeps up with the TV series by going very dark indeed.  Idris Elba plays the character with comfortable ease and real commitment, Cynthia Erivo is good value as the Division's new boss and Andy Serkis plays the arch-manipulator of chaos very well.  Central London is used as a very good atmospheric backdrop to the mayhem, and the unexpected location shift for the final act is a little jarring but visually rich, even if it goes rather Hostel at the end.   The Fallen Sun is a worthy and generally successful movie-length iteration of Luther, and it will be interesting to see where the character goes next.
 

VOD: Devotion (dir: J.D.Dillard, 2023)

"Fellas, you're not just here to fly and screw!"
 

Inspired by a true story, this earnest tale of navy pilots in 1950 at the start of the Korean War and the ongoing Russian threat offers a recognisable but less glossy period take on the Top Gun movies, with the racist attitudes of the time as its key issue.  Indeed, we have grown up so used to seeing these generic visuals accompanied by a slick 1980s soft-rock/synth soundtrack that Chanda Dancy's lush and lyrical score feels odd at first but is very effective, and the aerial sequences are realised beautifully, along with some lively battle sequences.  The team of pilots is a likeable bunch, with a superb mesmerising standout performance by Jonathan Majors as Ensign Jesse Brown, the U.S. Navy's first African-American pilot, portrayed as a gentle but strong man, self-aware of the racism of the times but finding friendship and acceptance as well.  Devotion is an understated, thoughtful and well-crafted film that delivers very well on both the action front and the quieter dramatic moments.

VOD: Mrs Harris Goes To Paris (dir: Anthony Fabian, 2022)

"You may buy your dream, but what will you do with it?"

Set in a movie-world version of London in 1957, a sweet if ordinary cleaning lady decides to save up enough money to buy a £500 Dior dress from Paris in this utterly charming and cosy fable.  It is a romanticised and sanitised rom-com view of the world but given just enough bite to make it engaging, from Rael Jones's sumptuous score to the array of quirky and colourful characters that Mrs Harris encounters in her line of work and her trip to France.  The film relies on whimsy and coincidence, but the hints of the darker side of the fashion industry and the overarching theme of identity ground the film to an extent.  Lesley Manville is an total treat as the charming Mrs Harris, giving a lovely character study of a put-upon but determined grafter, ably supported by Ellen Thomas a s her lively best friend and Andre Bravo as the lovelorn young Dior accountant who takes Mrs Harris under his wing in Paris.  Put simply, Mrs Harris Goes To Paris is an absolute delight that is light, breezy and irresistible.
 

VOD: Good Luck To You, Leo Grande (dir: Sophie Hyde, 2022)

"There's always something to fancy."

A widow (Emma Thompson) hires an escort (Daryl McCormack) for four hotel encounters... and that sums up the story.  What this film therefore stands or falls upon is the quality of writing , direction and performance, and Leo Grande scores highly in all areas.  The age difference, gender issues and societal roles are covered well, and it is interesting to follow the subtle shifts as the film progresses.  McCormack's calm, measured self-confidence is the perfect foil to Thompson's awkward repressed nervousness, and two performers complement each other very well indeed; the performances have moments of genuine emotional honesty that are a credit to both actors.  It is very theatrical in style, setting and dialogue-heavy scenes, but it enables the two characters to breathe and develop most effectively.  The witty script contrasts the mundane with bigger themes and has some great funny lines as well as some moments of well-realised emotional revelations, making this a very well-acted if small-scale observational piece.

 

VOD: Hollyblood (dir: Jesus Font, 2023)

"We have to get out of here now!"

An ancient vampire, a vamp-obsessed girl, a new kid in town, a bully and an awkward wannabe teen vampire-hunter cross paths in this unlikely Spanish Netflix high-school teen rom-com.  Populated by blunt stereotypes in a parade of painful throwaway scenes, attempts at both base humour and crass dialogue are laboured - timing of delivery is a real issue - and not very successful, presented by a well-meaning but largely weak young cast (with Oscar Casas as the new arrival perhaps giving the most watchable performance).  Even the fake film-within-the-film of the title that parodies Twilight is too self-consciously bad rather than sharp and knowing.  The actual story holds together sufficiently, but dialogue, performances and writing all make this a difficult one to sit through.
 

VOD: Fisherman's Friends: One And All (a.k.a. Fisherman's Friends 2) (dirs: Meg Leonard and Nick Moorcroft, 2022)

"I've seen dressed crabs look more lively."

This sequel to the surprisingly popular 2019 movie based on real events starts with the Cornish vocal band as a successful touring and recording act and focuses on the responsibilities and downsides of fame, with the record company concerned about their un-PC ways and an increasingly alcoholic leading figure that ultimately leads to the band being dropped.  The film awkwardly applies generic rock movie tropes - difficult second album, controlling record company, addiction, intra-band rivalries, etc. - but it also focuses on the personal dramas to occasionally good effect.  The core cast returns and is proficient as before (standouts again being James Purefoy and Dave Johns), but again the whole enterprise is pleasant and gentle to the point of being soporific and unremarkable.  At least the scenery is still great to look at.
 

FILM: Scream VI (a.k.a Scream 6) (dirs: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, 2023)

"No-one gives a f**k about movies!"

Following the successful re-quel that was the fifth entry, what started out as a teen-friendly but savvy slasher series has evolved into something a bit more mature and interesting, whilst still retaining some of the signature elements to reward long-term fans.   Although the slasher element remains, this entry focusses more on paranoia and the inability to trust even the closest friends/authority figures, together with a determinedly brutal and overtly visceral  feel to the violence.  With a focus on the new generation of characters, Courteney Cox remains as a reassuring franchise presence and performs well, and whilst Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega perform adequately as the central Carpenter sisters neither are particularly interesting, but there are thankfully more engaging  and watchable performances from Jasmin Savoy Brown (as Mindy) and Mason Gooding (as Chad).  Apart from the obvious charms of a change of location (and this is authentic New York, unlike Friday The 13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, from which the directors have said they learned very clear lessons!), standout sequences set in the flats of the Core Four (survivors of the last instalment) and Gale Weathers, where they are pitched against a particularly physical and fast iteration of GhostFace, are particularly well-staged and enjoyable, as is the subway sequence with carriages full of horror-icons-bemasked  Halloween revellers including GhostFaces.  The end reveal is handled well, and the opening sequence surprise guest star is a treat.  The set designers have clearly had a field day, the directors and writers clearly know and love the genre, and they all seem determined to deliver quality horror that will please the fans as well as deliver on content and style, all of which Scream VI does very well indeed.

VOD: Fall (dir: Scott Mann, 2022)

"See? It's easy!"

After a vertigo-inducing sheer-face rock climb that recalls the opening of Vertical Limit and ends just as horribly, one year later the two estranged friends climb up a decommissioned 2,000-feet-tall radio tower in the middle of the desert and get stuck at the top.  If you think the ascent is nerve-shredding, the disaster-filled attempts to descend equally has moments to panic the viewer as rusty ladders collapse and the duo have only 50 feet of usable rope.  Similar to 127 Hours and The Shallows, this movie pits human(s) against the elements and challenges their resolve and ingenuity in a battle to survive.  The effects work is mostly satisfactory for the budget, and there are occasional moments of real peril that are handled very effectively, even if a few more of those would have been welcome, as the film does get rather talky in the mid-section.  Largely a two-hander, both actresses deliver capably and complement each other well.  The ending feels rather rushed and a bit of a cheat on the viewer, but overall Fall uses and delivers its high concept quite well for its budget.
 

VOD: The Unholy (dir: Evan Spiliotopoulos, 2021)

"When God builds a church, the devil build a chapel next door."

Based om a James Herbert novel, and produced by Raimi and Tapert, what could possibly go wrong?  Plenty. The film opens with an arresting POV burning of an 'unclean' girl, then moves to present-day Jeffery Dean Morgan as a a down-at-heel journalist who - while following a minor silly story at that same rural community - sets in motion a blessing/curse tied to the past as the pastor's ward Alice sees a vision of 'the Virgin Mary' and gains miraculous healing powers.  Cue shots of religious icons bleeding tears, shadowy figures flitting across the foreground and J-horror double-jointedness as the film grinds along routinely in a rather cheap, low-key and almost disinterested manner, with even the usually-reliable Jeffrey Dean Morgan and William Sadler underwhelming here.  This somewhat anaemic and trite religious-themed horror never really engages.
 

VOD: The Strays (dir: Nathaniel Martello-White, 2023)

"Talk's cheap, right?  It's all in the doing."

This British Netflix social thriller starts with a young woman with money troubles walking away from her entire life; 'Years Later' we catch up with her in a new identity, having a fabulous upper-middle-class life - nice house, nice car, ideal family, community respect, deputy head in a very successful private school - but slowly she starts to lose control over her perfectly constructed world as the past shockingly catches up with her.  The film is subsequently split into two further sections that take the viewer back over recent events from different points of view and showing the aftermath of the big revelation before everything collides in an uncomfortable finale.  There are generally solid performances, particularly from Ashley Madekwe in the lead role and Jorden Myrie (who is clearly an actor with a future to watch).  With its deliberately potent mix of gender and racial issues, The Strays proves to be a capable family-themed thriller which all leads to a rather familiar home-invasion conclusion (with a strong echo of Jordan Peele) that nevertheless keeps the viewer guessing to the end.