VOD: Alien Apocalypse (dir: Adrian Avila, 2024)

"I don't know!  I'm just an exobiologist!"

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Asylum Studios, Alien Apocalypse tells the story of a sample of alien life from a space mission to Proxima B that unleashes a swarm of aggressive, flesh-eating 'organic nanobots' at Area 51 that threatens the whole of humanity, all on a micro-budget.  An overexcited music score thrashes away relentlessly, and brief appearances by Asylum stalwarts - Michael Pare looking frequently puzzled and the extraordinary screen presence of Paul Logan - lift the otherwise unremarkable cast.  The very low-tech shenanigans often appear to be filmed in corridors, cupboards and offices at the start but become a bit more ambitious in the final act, the often daft dialogue is  frequently  eye-roll-inducing, but to its credit there is some effective low-end CGI work on the actual space-nanobots.  For what is a very limited sci-fi potboiler, the finale tries hard to deliver some fun moments as the evolving swarm sets its sights on Los Angeles, but overall Alien Apocalypse does not rise above its cheap-and-cheerful category.
 

VOD: Elton John - Never Too Late (dirs: R.J. Cutler and David Furnish, 2024)

"I just want to be where I want to be now."

In the months leading up to his last-ever U.S. concert on his extensive farewell tour and writing his memoir, in this well-crafted documentary Elton John looks back on the early years of his life and career with his usual enjoyable candour and a wealth of personal archive material - the real-life counterpart to Rocketman that that covers much of the same ground.  Soundtracked by welcome deeper cuts alongside the expected hits, the film hits a good rhythm of jumping between the (then) present and the past, putting into perspective a well-structured chronological look at all aspects of Elton's professional and personal lives, ably demonstrating the demons he developed and conquered leading to his happiness as a father and husband today.  Never Too Late does a very good job of covering well-trodden ground; an in-depth look at his more varied career and level of success post-1970s would be very welcome at some point.   Concluding with the emotional punch of that final L.A. show ends this well-put-together look back at the power of creativity, friendship, family and survival. 

 

VOD: Nostalgia (dir: Mario Martone, 2022)

"It's in the past.  And the past doesn't exist."

This Italian drama follows middle-aged Felice as he returns to his hometown of Naples after forty years away as he rediscovers the city, people and how things have changed and also stayed the same.  As the story of why he left as a teenager slowly unfolds it takes in religion, street/criminal gangs, youth culture, his now-aged mother and his long-lost childhood best friend along the way, as the past ripples through to the present day.  It is a slow, pensive film that has a gentle wistfulness as it explores the less glitzy/touristy everyday side of the city and does not shy away from ag and decay, with the poignant juxtaposition of flashbacks and the older Felice - especially in the same locations - often used to great effect.  Pierfrancisco Favino gives a haunted performance of depth that is absorbing to watch, as he tries to reconcile events of the past with the realities of the present day and the future he desires.  The ending is artfully constructed and has real impact, rounding off this thought-provoking and deeply heartfelt film.
 

VOD: A Real Pain (dir: Jesse Eisenberg, 2024)

"I'm so f**king happy to be here with you right now!"

Following the death of their beloved grandmother, a trip to Poland by two estranged cousins to explore their family's history forms the basis of this buddy comedy/drama story, written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg.  As the two cousins, the loquacious and carefree Benji (Kieran Culkin) and the more pragmatic young father Dave (Eisenberg) are a great pairing, the whip-smart rapid-fire dialogue crackling back and forth very engagingly, all couched within an interesting and diverse group of characters with whom they share an organised tour that sees them confronted with their Jewish heritage and their own demons, including a devastatingly sombre visit to a former concentration camp.  The shooting of architecture and landmarks adds visual interest, together with the juxtaposition of old and new, with a classical piano soundtrack of mostly Chopin that adds a suitably melancholic and reflective air.  Driven by great writing, the fantastic relationship and characters created by the two leads and the strong supporting cast provides many heartfelt moments that make A Real Pain a blissfully enjoyable movie.
 

VOD: Mufasa - The Lion King (dir: Barry Jenkins, 2024)

"To be lost is to learn the way."

This prequel to Jon Favreau's 2019 'live action' version of The Lion King hits the ground running, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink in the first ten minutes - characters, mythology, comedy, music and song, drama and gorgeous high-quality visuals - as the film follows Mustafa from birth, separation from his parents, finding a new 'family' including a 'brother' to his journey home.  The new characters settle in quickly, there are new threats and a couple of effective spectacular action sequences, and the relationship between the two 'brothers' is played very nicely.  The visuals are insanely richly-detailed and vibrant-looking from start to finish, largely without the distancing flat sheen that many CG-heavy films suffer.  The new songs are brief and delightful, fitting in with the recent style of Disney song soundtracks.  The self-aware framing device of this story being told by energetic Timon and Pumbaa lightens the mood but is mildly irritating.  Barry Jenkins successfully delivers on the emotional beats, with the concept of family once again the huge running thread throughout the story, good on the father/son and brotherhood bonds and the positive influence of female family members, but perhaps holding back a little on exploring the issue of masculine power that is raised.  As a prequel the film works well and looks terrific, if perhaps a little inessential but a good companion piece.

 

VOD: The Crow (2024) (dir: Rupert Sanders, 2024)

"When someone you love dies, you will know emptiness."

With the greatly-cherished original graphic novel and iconic 1994 film etched firmly in pop culture, followed by a slew of unsatisfactory DVD sequels, hopes were high for what was promised to be an authentic and respectful take on the source material.  Here, Bill Skarsgard and FKA Twigs star as the ill-fated lovers Eric and Shelly, here recovering addicts on the run from Shelly's shady past and Skarsgard resurrected as The Crow, out to wreak revenge on a peculiar nemesis and his cronies.  As Eric, Skarsgard gives another of his sensitive and nuanced performances that is suited to the role in this film if lacking Brandon Lee's charm and energy, but his female co-star underwhelms with her one-note turn as Shelly, and Danny Huston does his best with his weakly-sketched villain role.  In spite of rallying a bit in the last half-hour John Wick-style, the film at times makes little sense and plays like a bizarrely-muddled Scandi-noir thriller.  Lacking the purity and heart of the original, this 2024 take on the material is often dull and not very successful overall.
 

VOD: The Critic (dir: Anand Tucker, 2024)

"A slightly pedantic distinction!"
"But the correct one..."

In this small-scale intimate British drama, Ian McKellan plays the waspish and powerful drama critic of the London Daily Chronicle newspaper in 1934, facing the triple threat of new management, becoming involved with an actress who has been on the receipt of his stinging criticism and the exposure of his gay lifestyle in less tolerant times.  After a very public incident leads to him being sacked from his cherished job, he manipulates a possible way back that has far-reaching effects.  McKellan gives a terrific performance deploying his usual wit and gravitas, well-matched by Gemma Arterton as the actress navigating her shifting relationship with her nemesis, with Mark Strong' well-controlled performance also of note as the new newspaper chief.  The film recreates the time period in both mise-en-scene and attitudes well, and it is expertly crated in all respects, making The Critic a quietly restrained but very satisfying watch.
 

VOD: The Last Voyage Of The Demeter (dir: Andre Ovredal, 2024)

"The world cares little for me...perhaps it is not meant to be understood, but rather experienced and accepted."

Expanded from the famous episode in Stoker's Dracula novel, this film expands on what happened on the ship that was chartered privately to transport fifty unmarked crates from Romania to London, but their contents are unleashed with deadly consequences for the crew.  The film is beautifully designed - with a huge TARDIS-interiored ship that has an unusual cathedral-like echo! - and it is rich in atmosphere.  Unfortunately, it is also rather slow and adds little to the expected story as the crew members start to get picked off one by one in the relentlessly impenetrable night gloom, Pitch Black/Alien-style.  The cast is solid, led by Liam Cunningham at his most stoic as the doomed vessel's captain, and the film is generally executed well - even the generic 'exposure to sunlight' burns are delivered to good effect - but how well the film plays will probably depend on the individual viewer's level of familiarity with the material and genre.
 

VOD: Never Let Go (dir: Alexandre Aja, 2024)

"It's a trick!"

In another small-scale, contained survivalist psychological thriller along the lines of A Quiet Place, Birdbox and Elevation, and with more than a hint of M. Night Shyamalan, a mother (Halle Berry) tries to protect her young twin sons in an isolated cabin from a global threat, the Evil; here the USP is needing to stay connected literally by ropes when venturing outside, in order to not let the Evil 'touch' you.  When one of the boys worryingly starts to question the whole set-up, including the validity of the mother's beliefs, it leads to game-changing consequences for the final act.  This dramatic role suits Halle Berry's skillset well and she delivers effectively, with both boys giving creditable performances, and sound design is particularly good.  Alexandre Aja delivers with the usual interesting eye, with the perpetual presence of the threat in the woods and religious symbolism used to good effect.  The central metaphor for maternal bonds and children's developing independence is unsubtle but developed effectively, but for all its positives, the film does feel like something of a dull plod overall. 
 

VOD: Street Trash (dir: Ryan Kruger, 2025)

"Man, you should have seen the place before we renovated!"

This South African sequel/remake of the mid-80s cult horror shocker sees a ruthless corrupt mayor out for re-election on the ticket of eradicating the homeless with a new aerosol variant of the experimental body-melting drug.  This new version replicates the cheap-looking aesthetic and fluorescent physical effects of the original - if a little more extensively - and the film succeeds on that level, and there is the occasional (establishing) shot that shows some visual flair.  However, there are many unrelentingly uninteresting and sometimes irrelevant dialogue scenes, and this is a throwback to the kind of micro-budget but enthusiastic film-making from the early days of DVD that relies on endless swearing and drugs references with gloopy SpFX that some teenage boys might find cool and hilarious.  With its tasteless misogyny,  homophobic slurs and a very uncomfortable 'gas chamber' sequence, apart from its ambition with its effects work this new take on Street Trash has little to recommend it.